The degree earned by Hans Hermann Behr from the University of Berlin in 1843 was formally renewed fifty-five years later at the explicit recommendation of Rudolf Virchow. Born in Köthen in 1818, Behr established a transcontinental career as a physician, poet, and naturalist, eventually settling in San Francisco for the final 54 years of his life.
Early Education and Academic Foundation
Behr attended schools in Köthen and Zerbst, where his curriculum included mathematics, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. His interest in natural history emerged during his youth through the collection of birds' eggs. He began medical training in 1837 at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, completing his doctorate at Humboldt University of Berlin in 1843. During his student years in Wittenberg, he engaged in the sport of duelling, an activity that left permanent facial scars.
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In 1844, encouraged by Karl Ritter and Alexander von Humboldt, Behr began extensive field research in South Australia. He documented insect populations—specifically Lepidoptera and Coleoptera—and studied the customs and languages of Aboriginal populations. Following a return to Germany and a voyage involving a pirate encounter near Bali, he returned to Australia in 1848 to perform systematic surveys of local flora. He later conducted medical practice in the Philippines for seven months starting in late 1849.
Career in the United States
Relocating to San Francisco in 1850, Behr established a medical practice while continuing his botanical and entomological research. He contributed papers to the Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Philadelphia and the Transactions of the American Entomological Society. In 1872, he accepted a professorship with the California Pharmaceutical Society. His later contributions included the 1884 work, Synopsis of the genera of vascular plants in the vicinity of San Francisco, and the 1891 and 1896 essays, Botanical Reminiscences.
Final Years and Legacy
The California Academy of Sciences appointed Behr vice-president in 1895 and later curator of entomology. He authored books on both science and literature, including The Plants of the Vicinity of San Francisco and a poetry volume titled The Hoot of the Owl. Following his death at his residence on 1215 Bush Street on March 6, 1904, his friend Alice Eastwood authored his obituary for Nature. Behr Avenue in San Francisco commemorates his residency in the city.
Fast facts
- Born: 1818, Köthen
- Died: 6 March 1904, San Francisco
- Citizenship: United States, Australia, Anhalt-Köthen, Anhalt-Dessau
- Occupations: Physician, botanist, entomologist, writer, poet, zoologist
- Employers: California Academy of Sciences
- Academic memberships: Corps Marchia Halle, Corps Moenania Würzburg
Questions readers ask
What major professional positions did Behr hold?
He served as a professor of botany for the California Pharmaceutical Society and as both vice-president and curator of entomology for the California Academy of Sciences.
Did Behr publish literary works?
Yes, he authored a book of verse titled The Hoot of the Owl.
Achievements
- Held posts at California Academy of Sciences
- Fields of research: botany
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