Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied
| Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied | |
|---|---|
Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied
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| Born |
23 September 1782 Neuwied, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 3 February 1867 (aged 84) Neuwied, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Nationality | German |
| Fields |
Ethnology Natural history |
| Influences |
Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Alexander von Humboldt |
Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied (23 September 1782 – 3 February 1867) was a German explorer, ethnologist and naturalist. He led a pioneering expedition to southeast Brazil between 1815–1817, from which the album Reise nach Brasilien, which first revealed to Europe real images of Brazilian Indians, was the ultimate result. It was translated into several languages and recognized as one of the greatest contributions to the knowledge of Brazil at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In 1832 he embarked on another expedition, this time to North America, together with the Swiss painter Karl Bodmer.
Prince Maximilian collected many examples of ethnography, and a large number of specimens of flora and fauna of the area, still preserved in museum collections, notably in the Lindenmuseum, Stuttgart. The genus Neuwiedia Blume (Orchidaceae) was named for him. Also, Prince Maximilian is honored in the scientific names of eight species of reptiles: Hydromedusa maximiliani, Micrablepharis maximiliani, Bothrops neuwiedi, Polemon neuwiedi, Pseudoboa neuwiedi, Sibynomorphus neuwiedi, Xenodon neuwiedii, and Ramphotyphlops wiedii.
Wied was born in Neuwied, the grandson of the ruling count (after 1784 prince) Johann Friedrich Alexander of Wied-Neuwied. Born at the end of the European Enlightenment, Maximilian became friends with two of its major figures: Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, a major comparative anthropologist under whom he studied biological sciences, and Alexander von Humboldt, who served as Maximilian's mentor. He joined the Prussian army in 1800 during the Napoleonic Wars, rising to the rank of major. He was given a leave of absence from the army in 1815 (prior to Napoleon's escape from Elba).
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