author
Rudolf Burckhardt
1866–1908
A Swiss zoologist and paleontologist, he wrote at a time when biology was rapidly changing and helped bring its history to a wider readership. His work joined close scientific study with a strong interest in how the natural sciences developed over time.
1 Audiobook
Geschichte der Zoologie
by Rudolf Burckhardt
About the author
Born in Basel on March 30, 1866, Rudolf Burckhardt was a Swiss zoologist and paleontologist. He became an associate professor of zoology at the University of Basel and also directed the biological station at Rovigno, on the Adriatic coast.
Burckhardt is especially remembered for his work in zoology and for writing on the history of science. One of his best-known books is Geschichte der Zoologie (History of Zoology), published in 1907, which reflects his interest not only in animal life itself but also in the development of scientific ideas.
He died in Rovigno on January 14, 1908, at just 41 years old. Though his life was short, his combination of research, teaching, and historical writing gives him a distinctive place among early modern scholars of the life sciences.