Robert Lauterborn (1869—1952) and His Paulinella Chromatophora

ARTICLE IN PRESS Protist, Vol. 156, 253—262, August 2005 http://www.elsevier.de/protis Published online date 11 July 2005 FROM THE ARCHIVES Robert Lauterborn (1869—1952) and his Paulinella chromatophora Michael Melkoniana,1and Dieter Mollenhauerb aBotanisches Institut, Lehrstuhl I, Universita¨ tzuKo¨ ln, Gyrhofstr. 15, 50931 Ko¨ ln, Germany bForschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main, Forschungsstation fu¨ r Mittelgebirge, Lochmu¨ hle 2, 63599 Biebergemu¨ nd, Germany In 1895, in his second, short contribution about among the most interesting representatives of its protozoa (Protozoenstudien II.), Robert Lauter- division in freshwater.’’ ? born, then at the Zoology Department of the In the second half of the 19th century the socio- University of Heidelberg, described a novel organ- economic situation in Germany (i.e. urbanization, ism (nov. gen. et nov. spec.) which he named industrialization and the rise of an urban proletar- Paulinella chromatophora. He must have been iat) led to pronounced and lasting environmental very exited about his discovery which he made on changes (e.g. degradation of soil and natural Christmas Eve 1894, since he clearly recognized waters, epidemic human diseases, plant diseases, the importance of his observations for symbiosis decline of forests). The Janus face of prosperity research and biology, in general. And although his were difficulties of supply, lack of hygiene in Paulinella featured only occasionally in scientific settlements, and various kinds of diseases. publications during the next 100 years, it now Gradually, questions were raised which today are appears to be taking center stage in discussions known as problems of waste disposal. Careful about the endosymbiotic origin of plastids (some observers such as Ferdinand Cohn (1828—1898) recent reviews in this field that mention Paulinella had early recognized the problems and with the include Bhattacharya et al. 2003; Delwiche 1999; methods then available initiated simple environ- Keeling 2004; McFadden 2001). Who was the mental monitoring systems (Cohn 1853; Kolkwitz discoverer, what characterized his time, socio- and Marsson 1908; Mez 1898). Jo¨ rg Lange, economically and scientifically, and finally what Gu¨ nther Leps (1934—2000; bibliography in Jahn did Lauterborn discover about Paulinella chroma- 2001), Thomas Potthast and Astrid E. Schwarz tophora that made him write (in the first sentence have described the circumstances of the ‘‘Wilhel- of his publication, p. 36; translated from German) minian’’ epoch and the early period of the ‘‘Among the many protozoa that populate the ‘‘republic of Weimar’’ and their influence on the extensive diatom mats of the Altrhein near development of science in Germany (Lange 1990, Neuhofen (about 6 km south of Ludwigshafen on 1994; Leps 1998; Potthast 2001; Schwarz 2001). Rhine, Germany) during the cold season, I found, The economic boom came after the German on December 24 last year, a new rhizopod, that in French war and finally led to overheating during more than one respect can demand to be ranked the Gru¨nderzeit (‘‘founder period’’; 1871—1873) and in consequence to many bankruptcies. During such phases of prosperity interest is initially focused on the requirements for economic 1Corresponding author; fax +49 221 470 5181 growth: production and delivery of food and e-mail [email protected] (M. Melkonian) raw materials. Concomitantly, the older ‘‘humus & 2005 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.protis.2005.06.001 ARTICLE IN PRESS 254 M. Melkonian and D. Mollenhauer theory’’ of Albrecht Thaer (1752—1828; Fo¨ rderge- ever, Bu¨ tschli fell ill during the time when sellschaft Albrecht Daniel Thaer e.V. Mo¨ glin 2004) Thienemann was there and could not give was superseded by the modern concept of the lectures. This brought Thienemann closer to the mineral nutrition of plants by Justus von Liebig junior lecturer (Privatdozent) Robert Lauterborn (1803—1873). The victory of this concept and the (1869—1952). The meeting between the 21-year first successes of the production-oriented view old zoology student from Thuringia and the 34- diverted attention from the problem of waste year old lecturer from the Palatinate was fateful. disposal that usually seems to be of less im- August Thienemann in his research has always portance to the public. However, the above- dealt with both the fruitful suggestions as well as mentioned problems leading to increasing waste the pitfalls that ‘‘holism’’ held for biology. He landfills and the omnipresent wastewater, made it placed his life under the motto Schau auf zu den the more important to try to better understand the Sternen, hab acht auf die Gassen (‘‘look up to the decomposition process (today known as recy- stars, pay attention to the alleys’’). This phrase cling). Wastewater treatment using artificial wet- was introduced by the lower-saxon poet and lands and trickling filters was introduced during writer Wilhelm Raabe (1831—1910), whom Thie- this time (see Kolkwitz 1922). nemann valued highly (see Thienemann 1949). The scientific study of aquatic ecosystems had Raabe had dealt with environmental issues in his just been initiated. Franc-ois Alphonse Forel lesser known novel Pfisters Mu¨hle (Raabe 1970 (1841—1912) in Geneva had introduced the term [originally 1884]), not casually or in a general way limnology (the science of inland waters; Forel but specifically using records from a publicly 1882); many new ideas came from the aspiring discussed lawsuit that dealt with water pollution ecological research in the U.S.A. and with the about which the pharmaceutical chemist Heinrich book of Stephen Alfred Forbes (1844—1930) Beckurts (1855—1929) from Brunswick had in- entitled ‘‘The Lake as a Microcosm’’ (Forbes formed him (see also Beckurts 1882; Denkler 1887), the programmatic catchword of the further 1980; Popp 1959; Thienemann 1925a,b; Vaupel development was born (Schwarz 2001). 1985). The endurance of the constant tension After the First World War, August Thienemann between the duty to study the details and the (1882—1960) became the champion first of Ger- danger of losing context with the large picture, man and soon also of international limnology was what Thienemann saw realized in an exemp- (Thienemann 1956, 1959). He came from fisheries lary way in Lauterborn’s life and research. Lauter- science and had studied the chironomid midges (a born became Thienemann’s hero, whom he felt group of Diptera comprising about 10,000 spe- obliged during his whole life. But then who was cies), an important component of the aquatic food Robert Lauterborn? web. The chironomid larvae develop in the Robert Lauterborn’s rather unspectacular life profundal zone at the bottom of water bodies. has been described in several obituaries and There, they form characteristic communities de- biographies, most recently by Lange (2001; using pending on oxygen and nutrient levels. Based on preparatory work done by Ju¨ rgen Schwoerbel the presence or absence of certain benthic [1930—2002]). Born in Ludwigshafen (October 23, chironomid larvae, Thienemann introduced his 1869) as the son of a local publisher, Robert went first system of lake classification, which he soon to school in Ludwigshafen and Mannheim where extended in collaboration with his swedish colle- he received his school-leaving degree (Abitur) age Einar Naumann (1891—1934) by adding the from the Realgymnasium in 1889. He studied appropriate types of phytoplankton. This resulted zoology and botany in Heidelberg (1889—1898) in the typification of complex biotopes by their where he graduated as ‘‘Dr. phil. nat.’’ in 1897 and biocoenoses: the primary producers, the consu- received his Habilitation (entrance examination for mers, the secondary consumers and the decom- university lecturers) 2 years later. Originating from posers. The inland lakes became a test-case for a non-wealthy middle-class background, he was ecological thinking. The further elaboration of lake familiar with austere living conditions and had to classification through studies of nutrient cycles seek additional income during his years as a appeared predetermined. student and non-tenured lecturer (Privatdozent). August Thienemann originated from Thuringia Income was generated by consulting. The young and had studied in Greifswald, Innsbruck, and man changed need to virtue and obtained valu- also in Heidelberg. To Heidelberg he was drawn by able knowledge and know-how in the transitional the legendary reputation of the zoologist and field between theoretical and applied hydrobiol- protistologist Otto Bu¨ tschli (1848—1920). How- ogy/limnology. His knowledge about organismal ARTICLE IN PRESS Paulinella chromatophora and Robert Lauterborn 255 biology (animals, plants and microorganisms) was phenomenal. One could envisage that he, who was a professor of forest zoology between 1918 and 1935, first in Karlsruhe, then in Freiburg (Fig. 1), could as well have succeeded as a professor of limnology or botany. This extremely unpretentious and modest man, unfortunately was not spared blows of destiny. His mother died when he was 2 years old, his aunt Pauline became his stepmother when his father married his mother’s sister. Robert remained single and lived together with his two sisters, Ella and Paula. Paula died in 1939, and Ella was killed during an air-raid on Freiburg in 1945 during which his house and library were also destroyed. A little earlier he lost Figure 2. Robert Lauterborn (together with H. his collection at the forestry institute through Utermo¨ hl, right) at the 10th International Limnologi- world-war II bombings; his father’s (later his cal Congress in Switzerland, 1948. brother’s) lithographic facility in Ludwigshafen which housed the back files of Robert Lauter- born’s publications was similarly lost in 1943. E.B. Wilson), they have been verified in every Nevertheless, Lauterborn did not resign and detail almost 100 years later by Jeremy Pickett- resumed his scientific work (Fig. 2) during the Heaps and collaborators (Pickett-Heaps 1983; seven remaining post-war years of his life (he died Pickett-Heaps et al. 1984). Robert Lauterborn’s on September 11, 1952 in Freiburg).

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