Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919)

Ernst Haeckel was born in Potsdam (then part of Prussia). In 1857, Haeckel attained a doctorate in medicine.  After the contact with suffering patients, the occupation of physician became less appealing.  Haeckel later studied at the University of Jena where he earned a doctorate in zoology and became a professor at the university for 47 years (1862-1909). 

Between 1859 and 1866, Haeckel worked on many invertebrate groups, including radiolarians, poriferans (sponges) and annelids (segmented worms). During a trip to the Mediterranean, Haeckel named nearly 150 new species of radiolarians. From 1866 to 1867, Haeckel made an extended journey to the Canary Islands with Hermann Fol and met with Charles Darwin.

After his wife, Agnes, died, Haeckel sold his "Villa Medusa" in Jena to the Carl Zeiss foundation (1918).  It presently contains a historic library.