Introduction

Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin

On the morning of Assumption Day 1817, Niko- Štiavnica, Slovakia), professor of botany and laus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin awoke after chemistry and director of the Botanical Gar- days in agony and asked: “Have the Stapelias den at the University of Vienna, professor not flowered yet?” At age ninety, suffering from Emeritus at the University of Vienna and sci- Marasmus senilis, Jacquin in his deathbed, sur- entific director of the Schönbrunn Botanical rounded by his son Joseph Franz, his daughter Garden, rector of the University of Vienna, Franziska, and his grandchildren, was refer- ennobled ‘Elder’, Knight of the Royal Order ring to his work on the genus Stapelia which of Saint Stephen, &c., &c., Jacquin was one of he had begun in 1806, and which, having pub- the most prominent academic figures in eigh- lished the fourth volume six months earlier teenth century Austria. was still unfinished. The following day a lied, Born in Leiden, the Netherlands, in 1727, versing on flowering and fruiting, spring, sum- he was invited to Vienna in 1752 by his fel- mer and fall, was drafted by his accompanying low countryman and former family doctor family and designated as his swan song.1 He in Leiden, Gerard van Swieten (1700–1772), at slowly faded during the next ten weeks, dying the time personal physician of the Austrian on October 26. Not until the following spring, empress Maria Theresa (1717–1780), to finish on 9 June 1818, was a solemn funeral held in his medical degree, which he had started in the great hall of the University of Vienna, at- Leiden and continued in Paris. In 1744 he was tended by the rector and senate of the Uni- sent to America by emperor Franz I Stephan versity. Amongst other important figures was von Lothringen (1708–1765) to collect plants his colleague Johann Nepomuk von Raimann and animals for the newly established bo- (1780–1847), who pronounced a memorial ad- tanical garden and menagerie at Schönbrunn dress.2 Jacquin was buried at Matzleinsdorfer Palace. Upon his return in 1759, he quickly cemetery on 28 June, and his gravestone can published his botanical findings in a small now be found next to his son’s, Joseph Franz, booklet listing the plants he had studied dur- at the Botanical Garden on Rennweg.3 ing his expedition and by the end of 1762 had A medical doctor by training, professor of prepared a full account of these plants accom- practical mining and chemistry at the Higher panied by 184 copper plate engravings of the Mining School of Schemnitz (now Banská species described. In 1763, soon after publishing his book on 1 It is well know that the Jacquin family was much the American plants, he was offered three inclined to music. His daughter Franziska and son Emil- positions by empress Maria Theresa. One in ian Gottfried had received classes from Mozart who Innsbruck, another in Saint Petersburg and a dedicated several pieces to them, including his Musical Dice-Game in C K. 516f, where the name francisca [sic] third one in Schemnitz. Although he initially is cleverly spelled in musical score, together with nick- had strong doubts about going to Schemnitz names of other members of the Jacquin family. See No- because he had to teach in German, a lan- guchi 2007. 2 Raimann 1818. guage in which he was not very fluent, he was 3 Lack 2000a. encouraged by the empress herself to take this NIKOLAUS JOSEPH JACQUIN’S AMERICAN PLANTS position, and so he did. Not surprisingly, it in- After retiring from the Botanical Garden volved a professorship and directorship of the and appointing his son as successor, Jacquin Mining Academy with an imperial salary of 500 was named Professor Emeritus and continued gold Ducats (2,000 Gulden), a grant from the his engagement in university politics, holding Emperor for his American journey, an elegant the position of Rector magnificus from 1809 house with a garden, a furnished laboratory, a until his death in 1817. dowry for his recently wedded wife Katherina Josepha von Schreibers, and allowance for fire- Sources for the Study of Jacquin wood and fodder for four horses. With his fi- nancial wellbeing now secured he could now Jacquin did not publish an autobiography, and dedicate himself solely to science.4 He worked his personal notebooks and travel diaries have in Schemnitz for five years, teaching chemistry, not been made public or are lost. Several ac- writing a textbook based on his lectures, and counts of Jacquin’s life appear in biographical contributing to the important mining activi- lexicons and encyclopedias, beginning with ties of silver ore in the region, while continu- his obituary published anonymously in Flora, ing to publish beautifully illustrated books on a botanical newspaper published in Germany, plants, the Observationum botanicarum. on 20 January 1818.7 Here, peculiar and some- Through the counsel of Van Swieten, he was what personal facts, such as Jacquin’s sigh asked by Maria Theresa to become professor about the Stapelias, are given by an unidenti- of chemistry and botany at the University of fied correspondent in Vienna, and the need for Vienna and director of the Botanical Gardens a full biography is called upon. Later that year located in Rennweg, replacing its first director the memorial address by Raimann was print- Robert-François Laugier (1722–1793).5 Thanks ed. Here again, very explicit details of Jacquin’s to Jacquin’s diligence, the Botanical Gardens life appear without proper reference. became a bustling institution, with refurbished In 1905, Ernst Moritz Kronfeld (1865–1942) buildings and a new garden layout6, lush with publishes a biography including a detailed ac- plants from Europe and abroad. From here count of Jacquin’s travels in America, which he on, Jacquin dedicated himself to botany, pro- mentions is based on a manuscript by his son ducing numerous beautifully illustrated large Joseph. In 1965, Wilfried Oberhummer writes a format books on the plants of Austria, those seventy-six page article on the history of chem- found in the garden and hothouses in Schön- istry at the University of Vienna between 1749 brunn and Rennweg, as well as a detailed ac- and 1848, and the chair of chemistry and bot- count of the flower parts of the Asclepiadaceae any held by Jacquin and afterwards by his son. and a monograph of the genus Stapelia. The botanical literature includes a review of the publication of one of Jacquin’s monu- 4 Details of Jacquin’s salary and benefits are pro- mental works, the Icones plantarum rariorum, vided in a letter from Jacquin to Linnaeus (26 October 1763), who in return writes that his salary barely amounts by Bernice G. Schubert (1913-2000) in 1945, to a third of that of Jacquin’s. Jacquin adds, “et musis nunc complemented in 1973 by Helmut Dolezal, incumbere solis”. who includes details of Jacquin’s life and his 5 For details of the political maneuvers executed by Van Swieten in this appointment see Lack 2000b. voyage to America. In 1973, another work, that 6 It was originally organized by Laugier according of Richard A. Howard (1917–2003), concen- to Sauvages’s principles based on leaf form. Stated by trates on the plants collected by Jacquin in Jacquin in a letter to Linnaeus 17 December 1759, includ- ing criticisms of this chemist, who took on botany for his living. 7 Anonymous 1818.

2