Heinrich Kuhl (1797-1821) and Johan Conrad van Hasselt (1797-1823) studied natural history and medicine respectively at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands from 1816 till 1820. During their studies they travelled widely through Europe, and met with famous scientists of the day in Germany, England and France. Due to their extraordinary qualities they were, in 1820, appointed by the Dutch government as the first delegates of the newly founded Commission for the Study of the Natural Sciences of the Netherlands East Indies to study the natural history of that region. Unfortunately their promising lives were cut short by their premature death.
This biography describes their lives, their considerable accomplishments in Europe and the Dutch East Indies, and their place in the scientific community at the time, especially in zoological systematics. The results of their systematic studies are shown to be still relevant to present-day science.
About the author
Charles Klaver studied biology and library management at the University of Amsterdam and graduated in 1976. He published on herpetological subjects, especially on the systematics of chameleons. Since 1981 he is employed by the University of Groningen as assistant to the Librarian.
Foreword VII
Preface IX
Introduction 1
Youth in Hanau and Doesburg 5
Student in Groningen and Europe 9
Explorer in Java 19
Retrospect 27
Notes 35
Bibliography of Kuhl and Van Hasselt 57
References 65
Appendix A: Index of zoological scientific names by Kuhl and Van Hasselt and commemorative names 79
Appendix B: Synopsis of the nomenclatural status of the herpetological names created by Kuhl and Van Hasselt in the published letters from Java 91
Acknowledgements 95
Photo credits 97
Index 99
