August Wilhelm Thienemann (24 April 1830 – 5 November 1884) was a German pastor, ornithologist and conservationist. He was the father of Johannes Wilhelm Thienemann, the pioneer of bird ringing in Germany and the founder of the Rossiten bird observatory.

Life and work

Thienemann was born on 24 April 1830 in

Droyßig Droyßig is a municipality in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. On 1 January 2010 it absorbed the former municipality Weißenborn.Georg August Wilhelm Thienemann (1781–1863) was a pastor who also took an interest in natural history with a circle of friends who included

Johann Friedrich Naumann Johann Friedrich Naumann (14 February 1780 – 15 August 1857) was a German scientist, engraver, and editor. He is regarded as the founder of scientific ornithology in Europe. He published ''The Natural History of German Birds'' (1820–1844) ...

(1780-1857) and

Christian Ludwig Brehm Christian Ludwig Brehm (24 January 1787 – 23 June 1864) was a German pastor and Ornithology, ornithologist. He was the father of the Zoology, zoologist Alfred Brehm. Life Brehm was born in Schönau (Odenwald), Schönau near Gotha on 24 Ja ...

(1787-1864). His grandfather Johann August Thienemann (1749–1812) was also a naturalist as was his uncle Friedrich August Ludwig Thienemann (1793–1858), whose son was

Ludwig Thienemann Friedrich August Ludwig Thienemann ( 25 December 1793, Freyburg – 24 June 1858, Dresden) was a German physician and naturalist. Ludwig Thienemann was the son of Johann August Thienemann (1749–1812) and Johanne Eleonora Friederike née Schre ...

(1793–1858). As a boy August Wilhelm collected bird eggs, shells and other objects. He studied theology and became a pastor at Gangloffsömmern. When he became a rector at Zangenberg near Zeitz, he managed a large aviary with numerous birds and documented the calls of birds often making use of a tuning fork to identify the frequencies. From 1876 the journal ''Sächsisch-Thüringischen Vereins für Vogelkunde und Vogelschutz zu Halle'' was edited by Eugen Dietrich Adalbert von Schlechtendal (1830–1881). After his death, Thienemann took over editing of the journal which had then merged into the German association for the protection of birds. Thienemann also edited the monthly magazine for the German association for the protection of birds. He produced a mural for a school in Weissenfels dealing with birds and gave talks around Germany. In 1884 he was asked by the minister of agriculture to represent Prussia at the International Ornithological Congress at Vienna but Theinemann was unable to go due to poor health. Theinemann suffered from rheumatism and had suffered a heart attack once in 1878. Thienemann died on 5 November 1884 in Zangenberg at the age of 54.

References

{{Authority control 1884 deaths 1830 births German ornithologists