Blumenbach

Blumenbach, Johann Friedrich (Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, 1752-1840), German naturalist. From 1776 he became professor of medicine at Göttingen and inspector of the city's natural history collections. For 60 years he taught courses in natural history, comparative anatomy, physiology, and the history of medicine. B. was the first in Germany to closely link the study of zoology with comparative anatomy, pointing to the natural affinity of different animal groups. Among his works in this field, one can name "Handbuch der Naturgeschichte", which went through 15 editions.

The main merit of B. lies in the propagation in Germany of the ideas of comparative anatomy ("Handbuch der vergleichenden Anatomie und Physiologie" and a number of minor works - translated into all European languages). In his doctoral dissertation, B. raised the scientific question of the unity of the human race ["De generis humani varietate nativa" (On the natural varieties of the human race) 1775]. Based on his famous craniological collection, B. gave his classic works: "Collectio craniorum diversarum gentium" (Craniological collection of different peoples; Göttingen, 1790-1828, 7 issues), as well as "Nova pentas collectionis suae craniorum" (New series - 5th issue - of the craniological collection; Göttingen, 1828), in which he, based on the shape of the skull, made the first attempt to divide humanity into five races: Caucasian, Mongolian, American, Malay, and Ethiopian. Individual works on anatomy, physiology, and natural history are collected in his "Kleine Schriften zur vergleichenden Physiologie, Anatomie und Naturgeschichte", 1805, and others. B. is considered the founder of racial anthropology.