Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz

Who was Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz?

Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz was a Baltic German physician, botanist, zoologist and entomologist.

Eschscholtz was born in Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia in the Russian Empire. He studied medicine at the Imperial University of Dorpat, and spent his main career there as well: extraordinary professor of anatomy, director of the zoological cabinet, and professor of anatomy.

From 1815-1818 Eschscholtz was a physician and naturalist on the Russian circumnavigational expeditionary ship Rurik under the command of Otto von Kotzebue. He collected specimens in Brazil, Chile, California, the Pacific Islands, and on either side of the Bering Strait, Kamchatka, and the Aleutian Islands. One of the other naturalists was the botanist Adelbert von Chamisso, who took over Eschscholtz's specimens, excepting insects on completion of the voyage. The two were close friends and Chamisso named the California poppy Eschscholzia californica in his honour. The results of the trip were published in the Berlin journal Entomographien in 1822.

From 1823-1826 Eschscholtz went on a second circumnavigational voyage, this time on the ship Predpriaetie, or Enterprise. Again, Kotzebue was the commander.