Johann Christian Gottlob Baumgarten

Who was Johann Christian Gottlob Baumgarten?

Johann Christian Gottlob Baumgarten was a German physician and botanist who was a native of Luckau in Lower Lusatia.

He studied in Dresden and Leipzig, and while at Leipzig performed field studies of its local flora, publishing the treatise Flora Lipsiensis in 1790. That same year he earned his philosophy degree, and in 1791 received his medical doctorate. Afterwards he furthered his studies of botany and medicine in Vienna.

In 1793 he travelled to Transylvania, where he undertook pioneer investigations of its flora. Subsequently he remained in Transylvania for the rest of life, working as a doctor and teacher in Schäßburg. In 1816 he published the first of a four-volume work on Transylvanian flora titled Enumeratio Stirpium in Magno Transylvaniae Principatu praeprimis indigenarum.

A species of bellflower, Campanula baumgartenii, is named after Baumgarten.