Anton Rehmann
Encyclopedia
Anton Rehmann aka Antoni Rehman (13 May 1840 Kraków
- 13 January 1917 Lwow
, Galicia) was an Austrian geographer, geomorphologist, botanist and explorer. He published mostly in German journals in
Austria and is regarded as an Austrian botanist, as Galicia was at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His botanical author abbreviation is Rehm.
Anton was the son of master chimney sweeps Józef Rehman (1812-1882) and Anna Piotrowski. From 1860 to 1863 he studied science and geography at the Jagiellonian University
in Krakow and in 1864 was awarded a PhD. in Botany, after specialising in the bryophytes. In 1865 he explored the steppes of Podolia
, the banks of the Dniester
and the Tschornohora Mountains in the Ukraine
. In 1866-67 he studied the anatomy of plants in Munich
with Carl Wilhelm von Naegeli. In 1868 he traveled through southern Russia and a year later was appointed professor of Plant Anatomy at the University of Krakow.
Between 1873 and 1874 he traveled to the Caucasus
and the Crimea
. He traveled through South Africa
from 1875-77 and again from 1879-80, becoming acquainted with the San
, the Khoikhoi
, and the Bantu. While in South Africa he collected over 9 000 specimens, and Ignaz von Szyszylowicz
made a start in their listing. Two parts of the listing appeared in a Polish journal in 1887-88, but because of friction the specimens were returned to Rehmann who sold them to Schinz in 1889. Dixon and Gepp listed his 680 mosses in a Kew Bulletin of 1923. These included the collections of John Medley Wood
and McLea which Rehmann had acquired while in South Africa. His first visit covered the George
and Knysna
areas from where he moved on to Cape Town
, Tulbagh
, Ceres
, Worcester
, Touws River
, Matjiesfontein
and back to Ceres.
In 1882 he became a professor at Lviv University
, while from 1884 to 1897 he was botanist and lecturer at the Veterinary College. From 1887 he was Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and in 1888-89 the rector. He was a member of the Scientific Society in Krakow, the physiographic Commission of the Cracow Academy of scholarship and the Natural Science Nicholas Copernicus Society, serving as president in 1888-89. In 1910 he retired.
During his work and travels, he collected enormous amounts of herbarium material. To this day his specimens may be found in herbaria around the world, including those of Krakow and Lemberg. He described several new plant taxa, including a variety of the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium
L. var calcigena Rehm.) that is considered endemic to the Pieniny
mountains and is on the Red list of threatened plants in Poland.
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
- 13 January 1917 Lwow
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, Galicia) was an Austrian geographer, geomorphologist, botanist and explorer. He published mostly in German journals in
Austria and is regarded as an Austrian botanist, as Galicia was at that time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His botanical author abbreviation is Rehm.
Anton was the son of master chimney sweeps Józef Rehman (1812-1882) and Anna Piotrowski. From 1860 to 1863 he studied science and geography at the Jagiellonian University
Jagiellonian University
The Jagiellonian University was established in 1364 by Casimir III the Great in Kazimierz . It is the oldest university in Poland, the second oldest university in Central Europe and one of the oldest universities in the world....
in Krakow and in 1864 was awarded a PhD. in Botany, after specialising in the bryophytes. In 1865 he explored the steppes of Podolia
Podolia
The region of Podolia is an historical region in the west-central and south-west portions of present-day Ukraine, corresponding to Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Vinnytsia Oblast. Northern Transnistria, in Moldova, is also a part of Podolia...
, the banks of the Dniester
Dniester
The Dniester is a river in Eastern Europe. It runs through Ukraine and Moldova and separates most of Moldova's territory from the breakaway de facto state of Transnistria.-Names:...
and the Tschornohora Mountains in the Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. In 1866-67 he studied the anatomy of plants in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
with Carl Wilhelm von Naegeli. In 1868 he traveled through southern Russia and a year later was appointed professor of Plant Anatomy at the University of Krakow.
Between 1873 and 1874 he traveled to the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
and the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
. He traveled through South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
from 1875-77 and again from 1879-80, becoming acquainted with the San
Bushmen
The indigenous people of Southern Africa, whose territory spans most areas of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, and Angola, are variously referred to as Bushmen, San, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe...
, the Khoikhoi
Khoikhoi
The Khoikhoi or Khoi, in standardised Khoekhoe/Nama orthography spelled Khoekhoe, are a historical division of the Khoisan ethnic group, the native people of southwestern Africa, closely related to the Bushmen . They had lived in southern Africa since the 5th century AD...
, and the Bantu. While in South Africa he collected over 9 000 specimens, and Ignaz von Szyszylowicz
Ignaz von Szyszylowicz
Ignacy Szyszyłowicz also known as Ignaz von Szyszyłowicz was a Polish botanist born in Granica. He contributed Part III.6 Caryocaraceae, Marcgraviaceae, Theaceae, Strasburgeriaceae to Engler & Prantl's Die natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , .-References:...
made a start in their listing. Two parts of the listing appeared in a Polish journal in 1887-88, but because of friction the specimens were returned to Rehmann who sold them to Schinz in 1889. Dixon and Gepp listed his 680 mosses in a Kew Bulletin of 1923. These included the collections of John Medley Wood
John Medley Wood
John Medley Wood 1 December 1827 Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, England - 26 August 1915 Durban, was a South African botanist who contributed greatly to the knowledge of Natal ferns, is generally credited with the establishment of sugarcane mosaic virus immune Uba sugar cane in Natal and for his...
and McLea which Rehmann had acquired while in South Africa. His first visit covered the George
George, Western Cape
George is a city with 203,253 inhabitants in South Africa's Western Cape province. The city is a popular holiday and conference centre and the administrative and commercial hub of the Garden Route.- Location :...
and Knysna
Knysna
Knysna is a town with 76,431 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa and is part of the Garden Route. It lies 34 degrees south of the equator, and is 72 kilometres east from the town of George on the N2 highway, and 25 kilometres west of Plettenberg Bay on the same road.-History:A...
areas from where he moved on to Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, Tulbagh
Tulbagh
Tulbagh is a town in the Tulbagh valley and is situated in the Witzenberg Local Municipality, with the valley called "Die Land van Waveren" locally. Closest towns are Wolseley, Prince Alfred's Hamlet, Gouda and Ceres in the Boland district of the Western Cape Province, South Africa.The valley has...
, Ceres
Ceres, Western Cape
Ceres is a town with 46,251 inhabitants in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. It is the administrative centre and largest town of the Witzenberg Local Municipality. Ceres serves as a regional centre for the surrounding towns of Wolseley, Tulbagh, Op-die-Berg and Prince Alfred Hamlet...
, Worcester
Worcester, Western Cape
Worcester is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. It is located 120 km north-east of Cape Town on the N1 highway north to Johannesburg....
, Touws River
Touws River
Touws River is a river in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its tributaries include the Brand River, Doring River and the Kruis River. It falls within the Drainage system J.- See also :* List of rivers of South Africa...
, Matjiesfontein
Matjiesfontein
Matjiesfontein is a settlement in Central Karoo District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa....
and back to Ceres.
In 1882 he became a professor at Lviv University
Lviv University
The Lviv University or officially the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv is the oldest continuously operating university in Ukraine...
, while from 1884 to 1897 he was botanist and lecturer at the Veterinary College. From 1887 he was Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and in 1888-89 the rector. He was a member of the Scientific Society in Krakow, the physiographic Commission of the Cracow Academy of scholarship and the Natural Science Nicholas Copernicus Society, serving as president in 1888-89. In 1910 he retired.
During his work and travels, he collected enormous amounts of herbarium material. To this day his specimens may be found in herbaria around the world, including those of Krakow and Lemberg. He described several new plant taxa, including a variety of the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium
Artemisia absinthium
Artemisia absinthium is a species of wormwood, native to temperate regions of Eurasia and northern Africa....
L. var calcigena Rehm.) that is considered endemic to the Pieniny
Pieniny
Pieniny is a mountain range in the south of Poland and the north of Slovakia.The Pieniny mountain range is divided into three parts – Pieniny Spiskie and Pieniny Właściwe in Poland; and, Malé Pieniny in Slovakia. The Pieniny mountains consist mainly of the limestone and dolomite rock strata...
mountains and is on the Red list of threatened plants in Poland.
Publications
- Travel sketches from southern Africa (1881)
- Echoes from southern Africa (1884)
- The Tatras from a physical and geographical perspective (1895)