Aleksander Zawadzki

Aleksander Zawadzki born Józef Antoni Zawadzki (6 May 1798 in Bielitz, Austrian Silesia – 6 May 1868 in Brno) was an ethnically Polish naturalist who lived almost all his life in the Austrian Empire. He was an author of flora and fauna lists of the Galicia region and the neighbourhood of Lviv . He was also the first scientist who studied and catalogued the beetles and butterflies of Eastern Galicia. He was responsible for encouraging Gregor Mendel to study genetics at Brno.

Biography Zawadzki was born in Bielsko (Bielitz under Austria). He received some education from Joseph Seyfert in his free time while also introducing him to the study of natural history. After school he moved to Olomouc in Moravia where he was a student at the Philosophical Institute. In 1811 his teacher at the Cieszyn gymnasium included Albin Heinrich (1785-1864), a famous mineralogist who introduced him to the collections of Leopold Jan Šeršník (1747–1814). Although he sought to study medicine, his family means were insufficient and he returned to Bielsko in 1817 and worked as a private tutor. In 1818 he walked to Lviv and joined the university as an extramural student. He studied anatomy under Christian Joseph Berres and botany under Ernst Wittmann, joining the latter on expeditions. In 1829 he received a doctorate and began to teach at the Lviv seminary. He became a professor of mathematics and physics in 1837 at the philosophical institute at Przemysl. In 1840 he moved Lviv University where he later became a dean of philosophy. During this period, he collected natural history specimens extensively. He was removed by the Austrian government from the university position and banished from Lviv when he sided with a radical political body of teachers and students influenced by the Spring of Nations (Wiosna Ludów). He then moved to Brno around 1853 or 54 and joined the Realschule under the headmaster Joseph Auspitz who himself was involved in student uprisings. It was here that Zawadzki met Gregor Mendel. At Brno he also maintained weather records.

Chrysanthemum zawadzkii and Silene zawadzkii are plant species described by Franz Herbich, is named after him. A carabid beetle Carabus zawadzkii and a fly Dryomyza zawadzkii were named after him.

Published works