The Berlin Society of Friends of Natural Science, (Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin, in German) (GNF) is a

scientific society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and science. Membership may ...

founded in 1773. Apart from the Danziger Naturforschenden Gesellschaft, it is the oldest private natural society in Germany. At its foundation it had numerous prominent and influential members who were experts in the natural sciences - biologists in particular. The society exists still, and has its seat at the Institute for Zoology of the

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...

Early Members

Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Martini Friedrich Heinrich Wilhelm Martini (31 August 1729,Ohrdruf – 27 June 1778, Berlin) was a German physician, translator and conchologist. Martini who practised medicine in Hamburg began, in 1769, the richly colour illustrated shell book: ''Neues ...

(1729-1778) *

Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch Johann Gottlieb Gleditsch (5 February 1714, in Leipzig – 5 October 1786, in Berlin) was a German physician and botanist known for pioneer investigations of plant sexuality and reproduction. Biography He studied medicine and other subjects a ...

(1714-1786) *

Martin Heinrich Klaproth Martin Heinrich Klaproth (1 December 1743 – 1 January 1817) was a German chemist. He trained and worked for much of his life as an apothecary, moving in later life to the university. His shop became the second-largest apothecary in Berlin, and ...

(1743-1817) *

Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten Dietrich Ludwig Gustav Karsten (5 April 1768 – 20 May 1810) was a German mineralogist. Among the most notable of Karsten's writings is a mineralogy book published in 1789 when he was only 21 years old. In later years Karsten held senior governme ...

(1768-1810) *

Adelbert von Chamisso Adelbert von Chamisso (; 30 January 178121 August 1838) was a German poet and botanist, author of ''Peter Schlemihl'', a famous story about a man who sold his shadow. He was commonly known in French as Adelbert de Chamisso (or Chamissot) de Bonc ...

(1781-1838) *

Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, p ...

(1769-1859) *

Otto Friedrich Müller Otto Friedrich Müller, also known as Otto Friedrich Mueller (2 November 1730 – 26 December 1784) was a Danish naturalist and scientific illustrator. Biography Müller was born in Copenhagen. He was educated for the church, became tutor to a yo ...

(1730-1784) *

Carl Eduard von Martens Eduard von Martens (18 April 1831 – 14 August 1904) also known as ''Carl'' or ''Karl Eduard von Martens'', was a German zoologist. Born in Stuttgart in 1831, von Martens attended university in Tübingen, where he graduated in 1855. He then mov ...

(1831-1904) *

Hinrich Lichtenstein Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein (10 January 1780 – 2 September 1857) was a German physician, explorer, botanist and zoologist. Biography Born in Hamburg, Lichtenstein was the son of Anton August Heinrich Lichtenstein. He studied medicine ...

(1780-1857) *

Christian Samuel Weiss Christian Samuel Weiss (26 February 1780 – 1 October 1856) was a German mineralogist born in Leipzig. Following graduation, he worked as a physics instructor in Leipzig from 1803 until 1808. and in the meantime, conducted geological studies of ...

(1780-1856) *

Hermann Steudner Carl Theodor Hermann Steudner (1 September 1832 – 10 April 1863) was a botanist and an explorer of Africa. Education and early work Steudner was born in Greiffenberg, located in Silesia, but grew up in Görlitz. He studied botany, mineralogy ...

(1832-1863)

External links

Geschichte der Gesellschaft, Museum für Naturkunde Berlin
{{Authority control Scientific societies based in Germany