Schrank, Franz von Paula( 1747-1835)

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Naturalist, b. at Varnbach near Schärding on the Inn, 21 August, 1747; d. at Munich, 22 December, 1835. At the age of nine he commenced his studies at the Jesuit College at Passau, and at fifteen entered the Society of Jesus. The first year of his novitiate was spent at Vienna, and the second at the college in Oedenburg, Hungary, where Father Sluha, a former missionary in Brazil, interested him in the study of nature. His higher studies were made successively at Raab, Tyrnau, and Vienna. His strength having been impaired by excessive exertion during his botanical expedition, he was, in 1769, appointed instructor at the college at Linz. After the suppression of his order, he moved to Vienna where he was ordained priest in December, 1774, and gained his doctorate of theology in 1776. Having returned to his native place, he published his first studies in natural history; "Beiträge zur Naturgeschichte" (1776). In the same year he was called to the chair of mathematics and physics at the lyceum at Amberg and afterwards to that of rhetoric at Burghausen. Here he found an opportunity of studying agriculture. In 1784 he became professor of agriculture, mining, forestry, botany and zoology at the University of Ingolstadt (later removed to Landshut). In 1809 the Munich Academy of Sciences elected him a member on the condition of his undertaking the direction of the newly-established botanical garden. To this task he devoted the rest of his life. Possessed of comprehensive knowledge and keen judgment, he was highly esteemed and received many public marks of honour and distinction. Acting several times as rector during the years of his professorship at Ingolstadt and Landshut, he had on many occasions to defend the interests of the university during the French and Austrian occupations.

TAXONOMIC PUBLICATIONS

 * Schrank, F. von P. 1837. Kritische Revisionen und Ergänzungen zu Schrank's "Enumeratio Insectorum Austriae, Fauna boica u.s.w.". Faunus (N.F.) 1: 5-19

REFERENCE

 * Doberl, M. 1997. Entomologische Nachrichten und Berichte 41: 138-140, portrait.