Paul Sarasin

Paul Sarasin, full name Paul Benedict Sarasin (11 December 1856 – 7 April 1929) was a Swiss naturalist and ethnologist. He is known as founder of National parks in Switzerland.

Paul Sarasin studied medicine and natural science at the University of Basel with Leopold Ruetimeyer, where he also met Fritz Sarasin, and at the University of Würzburg. His dissertation had the title "Die Entwicklungsgeschichte der Bithynia tentaculata" and was about the developmental history of a small aquatic snail.

Paul Sarasin was a second cousin of Fritz Sarasin. Paul and Fritz did not only work and travel together for scientific purposes but also had a close livelong friendship. Both had their origins in the rich and powerful patrician families (Patriziat), which ruled their native city of Basel at this time.

Research of the Sarasins was primarily in the field of natural science: they collected geographical informations and also informations and objects related to Geology and Zoology (like Moluscs). Later, getting interested additionally in anthropology and ethnology, they collected also measures about the human body, they photographed and interviewed people, recorded their language and collected their works of art.

Paul and Fritz Sarasin made several scientific expeditions to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and Celebes (now Sulawesi). After their first journey to Ceylon 1883-1886 they stayed 1886-1893 in Berlin for evaluation and publication of results. 1890, 1902 and 1907 they travelled again to Ceylon and 1893-1896 to Celebes. After staying from 1896-1902 in Basel they went from 1902-1903 a second time to Celebes.

In Celebes they tried to solve an open scientific question related to the theory of Evolution of Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, about a detail concerned with the geographical distribution of plants and animals called the Wallace Line, that is whether Celebes belonged in this regard more to Asia or to Australia. A network of scientists publishing in English, German, French and Dutch competed for a solution to this problem. Instead of a sharp line the Sarasins proposed a zone of gradual change and asked for research about the kind of connections of land which would explain the existing populations.

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