Ernst Haeckel was a prominent German zoologist and evolutionist born on February 16, 1834 in Potsdam, Germany. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Berlin in 1857, he initially practiced medicine before traveling to Italy where he studied marine organisms and considered a career in art. Deeply influenced by Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species," Haeckel abandoned his medical practice to pursue zoology, completing his habilitation at the University of Jena in 1861. He subsequently became an associate professor of zoology at Jena and remained at the institution until his retirement from teaching in 1909, establishing himself as a leading figure in German evolutionary biology during a pivotal period for the acceptance of Darwinism in continental Europe.
Haeckel made substantial contributions to biological science through his discovery and description of thousands of new species, particularly radiolarians which he studied extensively during Mediterranean expeditions. He famously proposed the biogenetic law stating that "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny," suggesting embryonic development mirrors evolutionary history, a concept that was highly influential though later largely discredited. As a prolific author, he coined numerous biological terms still in use today including "ecology," "phylum," "phylogeny," and "Protista," significantly shaping biological terminology. His 1868 publication "Natürliche Schöpfungsgeschichte" [The Natural History of Creation] presented Darwin's evolutionary theory in accessible language, making it far more influential in Germany than Darwin's original technical work.
Beyond his scientific work, Haeckel was a gifted artist whose detailed illustrations of biological forms, particularly in his 1904 publication "Kunstformen der Natur" [Art Forms of Nature], influenced the Art Nouveau movement and helped popularize evolutionary biology with the public. Although his racial theories and promotion of scientific racism have been rightfully condemned, his systematic documentation of biodiversity and efforts to map evolutionary relationships through phylogenetic trees left a lasting impact on biological science. Haeckel also ventured into philosophy, writing "Die Welträtsel" [The Riddles of the Universe], which introduced the concept of the "world riddle" and promoted monism as a philosophical framework reconciling science and religion. Despite controversies surrounding some of his theories, Haeckel's legacy endures as a pivotal figure who championed and disseminated evolutionary theory across continental Europe during a critical period in biological science.
