Heinrich Zoller

Heinrich Zoller
Heinrich Zoller in 1986
Born(1923-01-27)January 27, 1923
Basel, Switzerland
DiedJune 11, 2009(2009-06-11) (aged 86)
Basel, Switzerland
Resting placeHörnli cemetery [de]
47°34′04″N 7°38′32″E / 47.56788220191676°N 7.642190813398474°E / 47.56788220191676; 7.642190813398474
Alma materUniversity of Bern
Children3 sons
Scientific career
FieldsBotany
Doctoral studentsChristian Körner

Heinrich Zoller (27 January 1923 in Basel - 11 June 2009 in Basel) was a Swiss botanist and professor at the University of Basel.

Biography

From 1942, Zoller studied botany at the University of Basel and at the Rübel Geobotanical Research Institute (ETH Zurich since 1958).[1][2] He was an assistant to Werner Lüdi [de] between 1945 and 1954.[1] Zoller received his doctorate from the University of Basel in 1952.[2] This was followed by research trips to Finland and Göttingen, whereupon he discovered the herbarium of Albrecht von Haller in the attic of ETH Zurich in 1956.[2] In 1960, Zoller was appointed associate professor at University of Basel.[3] In 1963, Zoller became qualified as a university professor at ETH Zurich, specifically in vegetation history. Between 1967 and 1989, he received 'full professorship ad personam' for botany at the University of Basel, which resulted in him being a mentor of Christian Körner.[1][3]

Gravestone of Heinrich Zoller in the cemetery at Hörnli

His grave is in the Hörnli cemetery [de], the main cemetery of the canton of Basel-Stadt.[citation needed]

Research

In his approximately 200 publications, Zoller mainly dealt with plant geography and sociology, pollen analysis, paleoethnobotany, and the history of botany in Switzerland and Europe.[4] Zoller was a founding member of the Swiss Association for Bryology and Lichenology (apart of SCNAT since 1992)[5][6] in 1956.[7] He became its second[2] president between 1970 and 1974.[7][8]

Zoller had advised 34 doctoral candidates in the field of botany.[4]

Personal life

Zoller had a deeply felt reverence for life. In addition to botany, he was also interested in philosophy, art, and music, particularly.[2] In his younger years, he had to choose between a career as a singer, studying theology, or studying biology. He was aware that there were limits to scientific knowledge, which is why he always vehemently distanced himself from the one-sidedness of material reductionism. Zoller published essays in which he expressed his philosophical-religious attitude towards nature. One of these essays is entitled Ehrfurcht vor dem Leben – Verantwortung für die Schöpfung (Reverence for Life - Responsibility for Creation).[3]

Zoller had 3 sons and 4 grandchildren, at the time of his death.[4]

Zoller suffered from a late case of poliomyelitis as a young adult.[4]

The standard author abbreviation Zoller is used to indicate this person as the author when citing a botanical name.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c Christian Baertschi: Heinrich Zoller in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 26 February 2004.
  2. ^ a b c d e Honegger, Rosmarie (April 2010). "IN MEMORIAM Prof. Dr. Heinrich Zoller (1923-2009)" (PDF). Meylania (44): 34–37.
  3. ^ a b c Erhardt, Andreas [in German] (2010). "Nachruf Professor Dr. Heinrich Zoller, 1923-2009" (PDF). Bauhinia (22): 1–4.
  4. ^ a b c d Haas, Jean Nicolas; Erhardt, Andreas [in German] (2010-09-01). "Prof. Dr. Heinrich Zoller (1923–2009)". Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 162 (2): 111–115. Bibcode:2010RPaPa.162..111H. doi:10.1016/j.revpalbo.2010.03.007. ISSN 0034-6667.
  5. ^ "Bryolich". www.bryolich.ch. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  6. ^ "Swiss Association of Bryology and Lichenology (BRYOLICH)". member.scnat.ch. Retrieved 2024-11-10.
  7. ^ a b Hürlimann, Hans (2006). "50 Jahre Bryolich 1956-2006" [50 years of Bryolich: 1956-2006] (PDF). Bryolich. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  8. ^ "25 Jahr Schweizerische Vereinigung für Bryologie und Luchenologie" [25th anniversary of the Swiss Association for Bryology and Luchenology] (PDF). Bryolich. 1981. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
  9. ^ International Plant Names Index.  Zoller.