Pagenstecher, Arnold Andreas Friedrich

Physician, biologist

born: 25.12.1837 in Dillenburg

died: 11.06.1913 in Wiesbaden

Pagenstecher studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin and Utrecht from 1855 and received his doctorate in 1858. In 1861, he began practicing at the Wiesbaden ophthalmology clinic of his cousin Alexander Pagenstecher. In 1863, he established himself as a practicing physician and specialist in ophthalmology and married Ernestine von Rössler. In 1876 he was appointed a medical councillor and in 1896 a privy medical councillor. Pagenstecher was a member of the Wiesbaden municipal council from 1868-80, a city councillor from 1891 and head of the city council from 1902. In 1907, Pagenstecher was made an honorary citizen of Wiesbaden.

In addition to his professional activities, he worked from 1882 to 1900 as secretary of the Nassau Association for Natural History and inspector of the Natural History Museum. After the three Wiesbaden museums were taken over by the city, he was appointed director of the Natural History Museum in 1900, although he still had to look after his practice. Together with Heinrich Fresenius, he campaigned for the construction of the new museum on what is now Friedrich-Ebert-Allee. However, Pagenstecher did not live to see the start of construction in 1913. In 1908, the association recognized his achievements by awarding him honorary membership.

His scientific work focused on medical-anatomical research with writings on ophthalmology and otology and on entomology with his description of the butterflies of the Indomalayan archipelago. In total, he was responsible for over 90 scientific works. He himself described more than 250 butterfly species for science for the first time.

His grave of honor is located in the North Cemetery.