Research project

The zoologist and marine biologist Karl August Möbius (1825-1908) was one of the most versatile German natural scientists in the second half of the 19th century and at the same time shows an extraordinary life path with remarkable career leaps for the time. After working as a school teacher in Hamburg, he was appointed to a chair of zoology at the University of Kiel in 1868, until he was finally appointed director of the zoological collections in 1887 and shortly afterwards also administrative director at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin, where he also held a chair of systematics and zoogeography at the Royal Friedrich Wilhelm University. With his extensive scientific work, Möbius embodies an early approach to the synthetic consideration of zoo systematics, evolutionary theory and ecology.

Publications and further reading:

Schmitt, E.M. & Glaubrecht, M. 2013. “Give me a museum and I will fill it”. The first German Tropical Research Station at Ralum, Bismarck Archipelago, 1896-1897, in context of collecting for the Museum of Natural History Berlin. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 89 (2): 337-364.

Glaubrecht, M. 2012. Karl August Möbius: Aus dem Lebensweg und -werk eines außergewöhnlichen Zoologen. - In: Van der Heyden, U., Glaubrecht, M. & Pfullmann, U. (eds.). Die Reise des deutschen Forschers Karl August Möbius nach Mauritius und zu den Seychellen 1874/75, pp. 7-26. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden.

Van der Heyden, U., Glaubrecht, M. & Pfullmann, U. (eds.) 2012. Die Reise des deutschen Forschers Karl August Möbius nach Mauritius und zu den Seychellen 1874/75. Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden. 300 pp.

Glaubrecht, M. 2010. From the oyster bank to ecology [book review of Nyhart’s “Modern Nature”]. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 86(1): 155-159. [pdf]

Schmitt, E. & Glaubrecht, M. 2010. How to become museum director: lessons from the decisive years 1883 to 1887 and Karl August Möbius’ appointment at the Zoological Museum in Berlin. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 86(2): 165-184. [pdf] Siehe dazu auch FAZ vom 5. Oktober 2011 [pdf]

Glaubrecht, M. 2008. Homage to Karl August Möbius (1825-1908) and his biological contributions: zoologist, ecologist, and director at the Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 84(1): 7-28. [pdf]

Glaubrecht, M. 2008. Karl August Möbius: Von Lebensgemeinschaften zur Artenvielfalt. Werk und Wirken eines außergewöhnlichen Zoologen. Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau, 61(5): 230-236. [pdf]