Johann Friedrich Blumenbach

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach was a German physician, naturalist, physiologist, and anthropologist. He is considered to be a main founder of zoology and anthropology as comparative, scientific disciplines. He was one of the first to explore the study of the human being as an aspect of natural history. His teachings in comparative anatomy were applied to his classification of human races, of which he claimed there were five: Caucasian, Mongolian, Malayan, Ethiopian, and American. He was a member of what modern historians call the Göttingen school of history. He is considered a pivotal figure in the development of physical anthropology. Blumenbach's peers considered him one of the great theorists of his day, and he was a mentor or influence on many of the next generation of German biologists, including Alexander von Humboldt. Blumenbach was born at his family house in Gotha. His father was Heinrich Blumenbach, a local school headmaster; his mother was Charlotte Eleonore Hedwig Buddeus. He was born into a well-connected family of academics. Blumenbach was educated at the Illustrious Gymnasium in Gotha before studying medicine, first at Jena and then at Göttingen. He was recognized as a prodigy by the age sixteen in 1768. He graduated from the latter in 1775 with his M.D. thesis De generis humani varietate nativa (On the Natural Variety of Mankind), which was first published in 1775, then re-issued with changes to the title-page in 1776. It is considered one of the most influential works in the development of subsequent human race concepts. It contained the germ of the craniological research to which so many of his subsequent inquiries were directed. Blumenbach was appointed extraordinary professor of medicine and inspector of the museum of natural history in Göttingen in 1776 and ordinary professor in 1778. His contributions soon began to enrich the pages of the Medicinische Bibliothek, of which he was editor from 1780 to 1794, with various contributions on medicine, physiology, and anatomy. In physiology, he was of the school of Albrecht von Haller, and was in the habit of illustrating his theory by a careful comparison of the animal functions of man with those of other animals. Blumenbach strongly supported the theory of monogenism, i.e., that all humans have a common origin and descent. He opposed the polygenist theory that suggested multiple origins of humans and several human species. He also rejected any hierarchy among the human races and emphasized their gradual transitions and connections. He based his classification on skull morphology and skin color, but also considered other physical and cultural traits. He coined the term Caucasian to describe the variety of humankind that he considered to be the most beautiful and original. Blumenbach was a prolific writer and a respected scholar. He published many books and articles on various topics related to natural history, anthropology, anatomy, physiology, medicine, zoology, botany, mineralogy, geology, geography, history, literature, and art. He also amassed a large collection of skulls from different regions and races, which he used for his research and teaching. He corresponded with many eminent scientists and scholars across Europe and beyond. He received numerous honors and awards for his achievements, including membership in several academies and societies. He was also a humanitarian and an advocate for human rights. He opposed slavery, colonialism, and racism, and supported the emancipation and education of the oppressed peoples. Blumenbach married Henriette Dorothea Seidenfaden in 1783. They had three children: Karl Friedrich, Heinrich, and Auguste. Blumenbach died in 1840 in Göttingen, where he is buried in the Albani cemetery.