author
Wilhelm Weltner
1854–1917
A German zoologist who moved from chemistry into the study of animal life, he became known for careful work on sponges, cnidarians, and barnacles. His career was closely tied to Berlin’s Zoological Museum, where he combined research, curation, and editing with years of field study.
1 Audiobook
Die Tier- und Pflanzenwelt des Süsswassers. Erster Band.
by F. A. (François Alphonse) Forel, August Gruber, Friedrich Ludwig, W. (Walter) Migula, Ludwig Plate, Julius Vosseler, Wilhelm Weltner
About the author
Born in Römnitz in 1854, Wilhelm Weltner first trained in chemistry before turning to zoology during his university years. He studied in Strasbourg and earned his doctorate in Freiburg in 1882 with research on sponges, a group that remained central to his scientific work.
Much of his professional life was spent at the Zoological Museum in Berlin. He began there as an assistant in 1885, later became curator, and was eventually made professor. His work focused especially on sponges, cnidarians, barnacles, and protozoa, and he also took part in the study of specimens gathered through major expeditions.
Weltner was not only a museum researcher but also an active field naturalist. He investigated freshwater and marine fauna in places including Lake Tegel, Helgoland, Rovinj, and the Madüsee region near Stettin. From 1904 to 1910 he also served as editor of Archiv für Naturgeschichte. He died in Berlin in 1917 after an illness following influenza.