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Walter Steinitz (; 12 February 1882 – 14 December 1963) was a German-born Israeli
cardiologist Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...
,
zoologist Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the structure, embryology, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. Zoology is one ...
, and fisheries research pioneer in Israel.


Biography

Walter Steinitz was born in Breslau,
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
(now
Wrocław Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
) in 1882. He was the son of Sigismund Steinitz (1845–1889), a merchant, and Augustin Cohn Steinitz (1850–1906); brother of the mathematician
Ernst Steinitz Ernst Steinitz (13 June 1871 – 29 September 1928) was a German mathematician. Biography Steinitz was born in Laurahütte ( Siemianowice Śląskie), Silesia, Germany (now in Poland), the son of Sigismund Steinitz, a Jewish coal merchant, and ...
(1871–1928); and also brother of the lawyer Kurt Steinitz (1872–1929).Steinitz, R. (2016) ''Eine deutsche jüdische Familie wird zerstreut''. Books on Demand GmbH, Norderstedt. pp. 91–107. He studied medicine in the Universities of Breslau and
Rostock Rostock (; Polabian language, Polabian: ''Roztoc''), officially the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock (), is the largest city in the German States of Germany, state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and lies in the Mecklenburgian part of the sta ...
, Germany, and obtained his medical doctoral degree (M.D.) from the
University of Rostock The University of Rostock () is a public university located in Rostock, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. Founded in 1419, it is the third-oldest university in Germany. It is the oldest university in continental northern Europe and the Baltic Se ...
in 1905. Following his return to Breslau he earned his living as a
cardiologist Cardiology () is the study of the heart. Cardiology is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery di ...
, and at the same time he also studied
zoology Zoology ( , ) is the scientific study of animals. Its studies include the anatomy, structure, embryology, Biological classification, classification, Ethology, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinction, extinct, and ...
. These studies were interrupted temporarily during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
by service as a physician in the German army. After the war, being interested especially in marine organisms, he wrote a doctoral
thesis A thesis (: theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: D ...
on the development of the eye in the
humpback whale The humpback whale (''Megaptera novaeangliae'') is a species of baleen whale. It is a rorqual (a member of the family Balaenopteridae) and is the monotypic taxon, only species in the genus ''Megaptera''. Adults range in length from and weigh u ...
and obtained a Ph.D. degree from the University of Breslau (now
University of Wrocław The University of Wrocław (, UWr; ) is a public research university in Wrocław, Poland. It is the largest institution of higher learning in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, with over 100,000 graduates since 1945, including some 1,900 researcher ...
) in 1918.Bytinski-Salz, H. (1964) Dr. Med. Dr. Phil. Walter Steinitz 1882–1963. ''Israel Journal of Zoology'' 13: 143–144. In recognition of his first and leading research of the marine fauna of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin,Steinitz, W. (1927) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Küstenfauna Palästinas. I. ''Pubbl. Staz. Zool. Napoli'' 8: 311-353.Steinitz, W. (1933) Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Küstenfauna Palästinas. II. ''Publ. Staz. Zool. Napoli'' 13: 143–154. the Breslau University granted him a position as Privatdozent and lecturer in zoology. Walter Steinitz's first wife, Marta Schindler (1887–1924), was mother of his three sons. After he became a widower he married Alma Friedlander (1887–1977). The rise at the beginning of 1933 of the
Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
regime brought an end to both his medical and academic career. He immediately recognized there was no future for a reasonable life as a
Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...
in Germany. Consequently, he emigrated that same year, together with his wife Alma, to
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
. He joined a group of Jewish German-born settlers who together founded in 1933
Ramot HaShavim Ramot HaShavim () is a Jewish village in central Israel. Located between Hod HaSharon and Ra'anana and covering around 2,300 dunams, it falls under the jurisdiction of Drom HaSharon Regional Council. In it had a population of . History Ramot Ha ...
, a village organized as an agricultural commune. In 1933–1938, he was member of the leading committee of the village. In 1939 he chaired the committee for less than a year. He was a highly educated person, a polymath with wide interests in the fields of life sciences, geology, philosophy and music. With his skills and experience as teacher, he led courses and gave lectures in the village on biological and agricultural topics relevant to farmers, and contributed to the cultural life of the village. Until his death in 1963, he made his living in Ramot HaShavim from a chicken farm, where he attempted to improve egg production by poultry breeding. After his death in
Bad Nauheim Bad Nauheim () is a town in the Wetteraukreis district of Hesse state of Germany. As of 2020, Bad Nauheim has a population of 32,493. The town is approximately north of Frankfurt am Main, on the east edge of the Taunus mountain range. It is a w ...
, Germany, he was buried in Ramot HaShavim. His three sons were born, grew up and studied in Germany before they emigrated to Palestine. He inspired them to study sciences: Ernst Steinitz (1907–1980), was an internist in the private sector;
Heinz Steinitz Heinz Steinitz (; April 26, 1909 – April 28, 1971) was a senior Israeli marine biologist and herpetologist, Professor and Chairman of the Department of zoology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He laid the foundation for research and t ...
(1909–1971) was a professor of zoology and marine biology in the Department of Zoology,
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJI; ) is an Israeli public research university based in Jerusalem. Co-founded by Albert Einstein and Chaim Weizmann in July 1918, the public university officially opened on 1 April 1925. It is the second-ol ...
; and Gideon Steinitz (1911–1975) was a mathematician in his academic education, became a meteorologist in Palestine and eventually was head of the Israel Meteorology Service.


Combining scientific investigation with Zionism

Walter Steinitz was a committed Zionist who developed his unique way of combining scientific pursuit with Zionistic activism. He participated the Zionist Congresses in
Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...
in 1903 and in London (1920); attended the inauguration ceremony of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1925; chose the coast of Palestine and the eastern Mediterranean Sea as the zoogeographic research area he would study while still being affiliated to the Breslau University; and formulated plans for the establishment of a marine research station in Palestine nearly fifteen years prior his decision to move and live in that country.Steinitz, W. (1919) Denkschrift zur Begründung einer zoologischen Meeresstation an der Küste Palästinas. ''Broschürenbibliothek des K.J.V.'' Nr. 7, 24pp. Finally, once he decided to leave Germany, his preference to emigrate to Palestine, and not elsewhere in Europe or America, certainly stemmed from his Zionist convictions.


Pioneering research of fishes in Palestine

Steinitz traveled to Palestine for zoological excursions in the second and third decades of the twentieth century. He explored, documented and analyzed his findings of fishes of the Eastern Mediterranean Basin, commenced scientific collections of fishes, and was the first to publish a comprehensive fisheries research of Palestine. His investigations were pioneering in two scientific respects: First, he discovered new marine organisms in the region, and second, he found fishes of
Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...
origin along the coast of Palestine.Steinitz, W. (1929) Die wanderung indopazifischer Arten ins Mittelmeer seit beginn der Quartärperiode. ''Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie'' 22: 1-90. The
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
, a man-made connection between the
Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
and the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
, was opened only a few decades prior to his investigations in Palestine. The presence of Indo-Pacific species along the Mediterranean coast of Palestine revealed to Steinitz an influx of fishes from the Red Sea - a northern branch of the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
- into the east Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal waterway, and it suggested that changes had occurred in the marine life of the south east Mediterranean Sea due to human intervention. He argued that with the new situation “…it is the only place on earth where two quite different zoological marine provinces have come into direct touch with one another” and that the Canal “…connects two oceans having each different fauna from the other”. Steinitz was among the first to call for monitoring the impact of the opening of the Suez Canal on the
Levant The Levant ( ) is the subregion that borders the Eastern Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean sea to the west, and forms the core of West Asia and the political term, Middle East, ''Middle East''. In its narrowest sense, which is in use toda ...
biota. Studies of the invasions of Red Sea species into the Mediterranean Sea, and their ecological consequences for the Mediterranean marine biota, have proliferated since then and are ongoing in the twenty first century. The phenomenon of migration of marine species form the Red Sea through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea is now termed
Lessepsian migration The Lessepsian migration (or Erythrean invasion) is the migration of marine species along the Suez Canal, usually from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, and more rarely in the opposite direction. When the canal was completed in 1869, fish, ...
.


A marine biology research station in Palestine

As early as 1919 Steinitz published his vision to establish a marine biology research station on the coast of Palestine. He was convinced that a research station located in Palestine would be essential for researching and following changes occurring in the marine biota of the Levant. An exchange of letters on the topic with Prof.
Albert Einstein Albert Einstein (14 March 187918 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist who is best known for developing the theory of relativity. Einstein also made important contributions to quantum mechanics. His mass–energy equivalence f ...
during the period 1919-1937 represent Steinitz’s persistent efforts to raise funds and support for the endeavor. Soon after immigration to Palestine he submitted in 1933 to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem an elaborate proposal for the establishment in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
of a biological marine station and
aquarium An aquarium (: aquariums or aquaria) is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. fishkeeping, Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aquati ...
for the study of the Mediterranean marine
fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...
and as a center for lectures and teaching courses. He received support from the
biochemist Biochemists are scientists who are trained in biochemistry. They study chemical processes and chemical transformations in living organisms. Biochemists study DNA, proteins and Cell (biology), cell parts. The word "biochemist" is a portmanteau of ...
and Zionist leader
Chaim Weizmann Chaim Azriel Weizmann ( ; 27 November 1874 – 9 November 1952) was a Russian-born Israeli statesman, biochemist, and Zionist leader who served as president of the World Zionist Organization, Zionist Organization and later as the first pre ...
, and from Tel Aviv’s mayor
Israel Rokach Israel Rokach, Order of the British Empire, Honorary CBE (; December 31, 1896 – September 13, 1959) was an Israeli politician, Knesset member, and the fourth Mayor of Tel Aviv from 1936 to 1953. Biography Israel Rokach was born in 1896 in Neve ...
. As a result, the Aquarium and Marine Station Tel Aviv Society Ltd was founded in 1936. Among the group’s founders were the mayor of Tel Aviv, Israel Rokach; Dr. Felix Danziger; Prof. Alfred Klopstock and other scholars. Albert Einstein was Honorary President and Walter Steinitz was the scientific director.The National Library of Israe

The Aquarium and Marine Station Tel Aviv Society Ltd. A prospectus.
The station was supposed to be built on land allocated by the Tel Aviv municipality, on the shore near the Yarkon River, Yarkon estuary. The plan included construction of an aquarium, research rooms, a lecture hall and a library, all for the use of local researchers and guests from the international scientific community. The society’s agenda encompassed basic marine biology research of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, research to support fishing as a source of income, and exhibitions of marine animals to the public in the aquarium. The efforts to build the station in Tel Aviv were blocked when
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
broke out. Walter Steinitz made a final, brief and unsuccessful attempt to operate in 1939 a sea laboratory in
Nahariya Nahariya () is the northernmost coastal city in Israel. As of , the city had a population of . The city was founded in 1935 by Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany. Etymology Nahariya takes its name from the stream of Ga'aton River, Ga'aton (riv ...
. His dream was ultimately fulfilled three decades later by his son
Heinz Steinitz Heinz Steinitz (; April 26, 1909 – April 28, 1971) was a senior Israeli marine biologist and herpetologist, Professor and Chairman of the Department of zoology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He laid the foundation for research and t ...
. A marine biology laboratory was inaugurated in 1968 on the coast of the Red Sea, in
Eilat Eilat ( , ; ; ) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port of Eilat, port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The c ...
, the
Gulf of Aqaba The Gulf of Aqaba () or Gulf of Eilat () is a large gulf at the northern tip of the Red Sea, east of the Sinai Peninsula and west of the Arabian Peninsula. Its coastline is divided among four countries: Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. ...
, and it is named The Heinz Steinitz Marine Biology Laboratory, in memory of its founder and first director.Por, F. D. (1973) Heinz Steinitz in memoriam. ''Marine Biology'' 19: 271-272. The laboratory became the basic element in the subsequent development of The Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences near Eilat.


Honors

The
sea anemone Sea anemones ( ) are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemone ...
''Cribrina steinitzi'' Pax 1925 was named after Walter Steinitz, while the fish species ''Tylognathus steinitziorum'' Kosswig (synonym of ''Hemigrammocapoeta nana'' Heckel 1843, discovered and named by
Curt Kosswig Curt Kosswig (sometimes spelled "Koßwig") (30 October 1903, Berlin – 29 March 1982, Hamburg) was a German zoologist and geneticist, who spent most of his career at the University of Istanbul (1937–1955) and Hamburg University (1955–1969). ...
in 1950), was dedicated to Walter Steinitz and his son Heinz Steinitz.


References


External links


Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences in Eilat (IUI).
*Fisheries Research in Fishing in Israel {{DEFAULTSORT:Steinitz, Walter Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to Mandatory Palestine Israeli marine biologists 20th-century Israeli zoologists 1882 births 1963 deaths 20th-century German zoologists German Zionists