The classification system developed by Anton Reichenow, which organized birds into six distinct categories including shortwings, swimmers, stiltbirds, skinbills, yoketoes, and treebirds, remains in use within the Dewey Decimal System. His work as a naturalist and zoologist spanned decades of intense activity within the German Reich, bridging the nineteenth and twentieth centuries through significant taxonomic and field research efforts.
Academic Foundation and Career
Born in 1847 in Charlottenburg, Anton Reichenow attended the University of Greifswald to pursue his scientific education. He spent the vast majority of his professional life attached to the Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, where he served from 1874 until 1921. His tenure at the institution included specific documented activity in 1888 and 1906, during which he functioned as a primary expert on avian and reptilian biology.
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Reichenow conducted a significant collecting expedition to West Africa throughout 1872 and 1873. These works established his reputation as an Africanist, and he remained a dedicated member of the German Ornithologists‘ Society.
Ornithological and Herpetological Contributions
Beyond his African research, Reichenow specialized in parrots, documenting known species in the illustrated book Vogelbilder aus Fernen Zonen: Abbildungen und Beschreibungen der Papageien, featuring illustrations by Gustav Mützel. His commitment to the field was further evidenced by his role as editor of the Journal für Ornithologie from 1894 to 1921. Additionally, he produced Die Vögel der Bismarckinseln in 1899. His influence extended into herpetology, where he provided scientific descriptions for a new genus, two species of frogs, and two species of lizards.
Professional Legacy
Throughout his career, Reichenow functioned as a zoological collector and scientific authority, deeply embedded in the academic culture of the German Reich. His name survives in the scientific nomenclature of various species, such as the skink Lacertaspis reichenowi, as well as Reichenow's woodpecker and Reichenow's firefinch. He passed away in Hamburg in 1941.
Fast facts
- Born: 1847, Charlottenburg
- Died: 1941, Hamburg
- Citizenship: German Reich
- Educated at: University of Greifswald
- Primary Employer: Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science
- Key Publication: Die Vögel Afrikas
- Language: German
- Membership: German Ornithologists‘ Society
Questions readers ask
What was the main purpose of Reichenow's classification system?
He categorized all birds into six specific groups: shortwings, swimmers, stiltbirds, skinbills, yoketoes, and treebirds.
Did Reichenow focus only on birds?
No, he was also a herpetologist who described a new genus of frogs and two species of lizards.
Achievements
- Held posts at Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science
- Educated at University of Greifswald
