Ignaz Edler von Born, also known as Ignatius von Born (, , ) (26 December 1742 in

Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; ; ) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the river Mureș (river), Mureș in the historical region of Transylvania, it has a ...

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

– 24 July 1791 in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

), was a

mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

and

metallurgist Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

. He was a prominent

freemason Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

, being head of Vienna's lodge and an influential anti-clerical writer. He was the leading scientist in the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...

during the 1770s in the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...

. His interests include mining,

mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical mineralogy, optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifact (archaeology), artifacts. Specific s ...

palaeontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geo ...

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science and engineering that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their inter-metallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are known as alloys. Metallurgy encompasses both the ...

and

malacology Malacology, from Ancient Greek μαλακός (''malakós''), meaning "soft", and λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study", is the branch of invertebrate zoology that deals with the study of the Mollusca (molluscs or mollusks), the second-largest ...

Biography

Born belonged to a noble family of Transylvanian Saxon origin. He started school in his hometown, then was educated in a

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

college in

, but left the Jesuits after sixteen months to study law at Prague University. He then travelled extensively to present-day Germany, the Netherlands, and France, studying mineralogy, and on his return to Prague in 1770 entered the department of mines and the mint. In 1776 he was appointed by

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia Walburga Amalia Christina; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was the ruler of the Habsburg monarchy from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position suo jure, in her own right. She was the ...

to arrange the imperial museum at Vienna (, the predecessor of today's Naturhistorisches Museum), where he was nominated to the council of mines and the mint, and continued to reside until his death. He introduced a method of extracting metals by amalgamation (''Uber des Anquicken der Erze'', 1786), and other improvements in mining and other technical processes. His publications also include ''Lithophylacium Bornianum'' (1772–1775) and ''Bergbaukunde'' (1789), besides several museum catalogues. Born attempted satire with no great success. ''Die Staatsperücke'', a tale published without his knowledge in 1772. He criticised state

bureaucracy Bureaucracy ( ) is a system of organization where laws or regulatory authority are implemented by civil servants or non-elected officials (most of the time). Historically, a bureaucracy was a government administration managed by departments ...

in this work. And an attack on Father Hell, the Jesuit, and king's astronomer at Vienna, are two of his satirical works. Part of a satire, entitled ''Monachologia'', in which the monks are described in the technical language of

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

, is also ascribed to him. Born was well acquainted with

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

and the principal modern languages of Europe, and with many branches of science not immediately connected with

and mineralogy. He took an active part in the political changes in Hungary. After the death of the emperor Joseph II, the diet of the states of Hungary rescinded many innovations of that ruler, and conferred the rights of denizen on several persons who had been favourable to the cause of the Hungarians, and, amongst others, on Born. In 1771 Born was elected a foreign member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences () is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special responsibility for promoting nat ...

and in 1774 a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the Fellows of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

In 1781 Born proposed that Austria undertake a scientific voyage round the world, emulating those of Cook. The expedition was described in the press in the following terms:

Vienna, 20 July 1782. His Majesty the Emperor has ordered Councillor von Born, one of our Monarchy's most learned savants, to put forward two subjects experienced in Natural History, to send to America in order to make new discoveries there. Mr. Heidinger, Adjunct in the Imperial Natural History Cabinet, and Doctor Maerter, Lecturer in Natural History at the Theresianum, were presented and approved; also, a Gardener and a Painter were included with them. They will go by Cape Horn to Otaheiti, from thence to Sandwich Island, to the American Coast on the North side of California, and finally to China. They both have knowledge of all areas of Natural History; it can therefore be assured that their discoveries will be of much greater ambit and usefulness than all that have been made hitherto, since Banks, Solander, and Forster looked at few other Objects of Natural History than Botany. At the end of August, they will sail on the Ship ''Comte de Cobenzell''.

Born himself hoped to lead the expedition, but the poor state of his health meant that he had to relinquish the post of leader in favour of Franz Josef Maerter, who was accompanied by

Franz Boos Franz Boos (23 December 1753 in Frauenalb – 9 February 1832 in Vienna) was an Austrian List of gardener-botanist explorers of the Enlightenment, gardener-botanist in the Age of Enlightenment, a voyager and collector of natural history specimens ...

. Subsequently, in July 1789, Born recommended Thaddaeus Haenke to the Spanish Government for appointment as botanist on the Malaspina expedition. In 1790, he catalogued the mineral collection of Éléonore de Raab, and this work formed the basis of William Babington's 1799 work ''A New System of Mineralogy, in the form of a Catalogue, after the manner of Baron Born's Systematic Catalogue of the collection of fossils of Mlle Éléonore de Raab''. At the time of his death in 1791, he was writing ''Fasti Leopoldini'', probably relating to the prudent conduct of Leopold II, the successor of Joseph, towards the Hungarians. As an active

in the "Benevolence" lodge, he introduced and tutored

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

into the lodge. Born's essay ''Über die Mysterien der Ägypter '' (The Mysteries of the Egyptians), published in 1784 in the freemason periodical ''Journal für Freymaurer'', was one of the sources for the

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

for

The Magic Flute ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

written for Mozart by Emanuel Schikaneder. Born was also the regional head of the Viennese Illuminati lodge, and was a sympathiser with the Enlightenment ideas of

Gotthold Ephraim Lessing Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (; ; 22 January 1729 – 15 February 1781) was a German philosopher, dramatist, publicist and art critic, and a representative of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the dev ...

. He published an anticlerical satire called ''Monachologien'' in 1783, in which he depicts monks as being of a distinct race that is a mixture between ape and man. The mineral bornite (Cu₅FeS₄), a common copper ore mineral was named in his honour.

Selected publications

* Born, I. 1778
''Index rerum naturalium Musei Cæsarei Vindobonensis''
Pars I.ma. Testacea. Verzeichniß der natürlichen Seltenheiten des k. k. Naturalien Cabinets zu Wien. Erster Theil. Schalthiere. Vindobonæ: Kraus. –40+ 1–458 + –82 (in

and German language) *

Species described

Species described by Ignatius von Born include:Malacolog Version 4.1.1. A Database of Western Atlantic Marine Mollusca. Retrieved 5 October 2009.
searching for Born
gastropods: * '' Bullata bullata'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Voluta bullata'' Born, 1778; ''Marginella bullata'' (Born, 1778) * '' Cerithium atratum'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Murex atratus'' Born, 1778 * '' Cerithium litteratum'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Murex litteratus'' Born, 1778 * '' Clathrodrillia gibbosa'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Crassispira gibbosa'' (Born, 1778); ''Drillia gibbosa'' (Born, 1778); ''Murex gibbosus'' Born, 1778 * '' Conus centurio'' Born, 1778 * '' Conus ermineus'' Born, 1778 – synonym: ''Dendroconus ermineus'' (Born, 1778) * '' Fissurella nodosa'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Patella nodosa'' Born, 1778 * '' Hastula cinerea'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Terebra cinerea'' (Born, 1778); ''Buccinum cinereum'' Born, 1778 * '' Labyrinthus plicatus'' (Born, 1780) – synonym: ''Helix plicata'' Born, 1780 * '' Osilinus turbinatus'' (Born, 1780) – synonym: ''Trochus turbinatus'' Born, 1780 * '' Patella miniata'' Born, 1778 * '' Patella oculus'' Born, 1778 * '' Prunum marginatum'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Voluta marginata'' Born, 1778 * '' Scutellastra cochlear'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Patella cochlear'' Born 1778 * '' Semicassis granulata'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Phalium granulata'' (Born, 1778); '' Phalium granulatum'' (Born, 1778); ''Buccinum granulatum'' Born, 1778 * '' Stigmaulax sulcatus'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Nerita sulcata'' Born, 1778 * '' Tegula fasciata'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Trochus fasciatus'' Born, 1778; ''Chlorostoma fasciata'' (Born, 1778) * '' Thais lacera'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Thais lacerus'' (Born, 1778) * '' Trochita trochiformis'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Turbo trochiformis'' Born, 1778; ''Patella trochiformis'' (Born, 1778) * '' Vasum muricatum'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Voluta muricata'' Born, 1778; ''Turbinella muricatum'' (Born, 1778) * '' Xenophora conchyliophora'' (Born, 1780) – synonyms: ''Astraea conchyliophora'' (Born, 1780); ''Trochus conchyliophorus'' Born, 1780 synonyms of gastropods: * ''Tritonium costatum'' (Born, 1778) and ''Triton costatum'' (Born, 1778) and ''Murex costatus'' Born, 1778 are synonyms for '' Cymatium parthenopeum'' (von Salis, 1793) * ''Murex gigas'' Born, 1780 is a synonym for '' Syrinx aruanus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) * ''Turbo torcularis'' Born, 1778 is a synonym for '' Torcula exoleta'' (Linnaeus, 1758) bivalves: * '' Argopecten nucleus'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Ostrea nucleus'' Born, 1778; ''Aequipecten nucleus'' (Born, 1778); ''Pecten nucleus'' (Born, 1778) * '' Ctenoides scabra'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Ostrea scabra'' Born, 1778; ''Lima scabra'' (Born, 1778) * '' Dosinia concentrica'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Venus concentrica'' Born, 1778; ''Cytherea concentrica'' (Born, 1778); ''Artemis concentrica'' (Born, 1778) * '' Eurytellina punicea'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Tellina punicea'' Born, 1778 * '' Gafrarium calipygum'' (Born, 1778) * '' Mactra glauca'' Born, 1778 * '' Ostrea cristata'' Born, 1778 * '' Panopea glycimeris'' (Born, 1778) * '' Papyridea lata'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Cardium latum'' Born, 1778 * '' Pitar circinatus'' (Born, 1778) – synonyms: ''Venus circinata'' Born, 1778; ''Cytherea circinatus'' (Born, 1778) * '' Tellina punicea'' (Born, 1778) * ''

Tivela mactroides ''Tivela mactroides'' is a species of bivalve Bivalvia () or bivalves, in previous centuries referred to as the Lamellibranchiata and Pelecypoda, is a class (biology), class of aquatic animal, aquatic molluscs (marine and freshwater) that ...

'' (Born, 1778) – synonym: ''Venus mactroides'' Born, 1778; ''Cytherea mactroides'' (Born, 1778)

Notes

References

* *Museum guide of

Mozarthaus Vienna The Mozarthaus Vienna (also known as the Figaro House) was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Mozart's residence from 1784 to 1787. The building is located in Vienna's Innere Stadt, Old Town, not far from St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, St. Stephen's Ca ...

(Prestel museum guide)

External links

* https://web.archive.org/web/20170925112650/http://ignatiusvonborn.ro/ * http://www.ilab.org/db/book1099_22049.html * http://tv.sms.cz/televise/CT2/20091002/1170029325_Dvaasedmdesat_jmen_ceske_historie_46_72
species described in ''Index rerum naturalium…''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Born, Ignaz von 1742 births 1791 deaths People from Cavnic 18th-century Austrian scientists Austrian mineralogists Austrian metallurgists Austrian malacologists Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Fellows of the Royal Society Edlers of Austria Hungarian nobility 18th-century Hungarian scientists Czech mineralogists Austrian Freemasons Members of the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities