author
Jost Fitschen
1869–1947
A German botanist and teacher best remembered for practical plant guides, he helped make identifying the flora of Germany easier for generations of readers. His name remains especially linked with dendrology and the long-running reference works known as Schmeil-Fitschen.
1 Audiobook
Flora von Deutschland Ein Hilfsbuch zum Bestimmen der zwischen den deutschen Meeren und den Alpen wildwachsenden und angebauten Pflanzen
by O. (Otto) Schmeil, Jost Fitschen
About the author
Born in Brest in Lower Saxony on January 1, 1869, Jost Fitschen became a German botanist whose work was closely tied to teaching as well as field study. He began working as a schoolteacher in 1889, later taught in Magdeburg, and worked there with Otto Schmeil.
Fitschen is best known as the coauthor of Flora von Deutschland, a widely used plant identification guide often referred to simply as Schmeil-Fitschen. He was also noted for his work in dendrology, the study of trees and woody plants, and for developing a Gehölzflora that continued to appear in later editions after his death.
He died in Hamburg-Altona on January 26, 1947. Although easily verified biographical details are fairly brief, his reputation endures through the practical botanical books that kept his name in use long after his lifetime.