Carl Jonas Pfeiffer
Carl Jonas Pfeiffer | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Cassel, Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel |
| Died | May 3, 1836 (aged 57) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, financier, malacologist |
| Known for | Malacology, banking, tobacco manufacturing |
Carl Jonas Pfeiffer (7 February 1779 – 3 May 1836) was a German entrepreneur, financier, and self-taught malacologist.
Early life and commercial activities
Born in Cassel as Jonas, Carl Pfeiffer was the son of Johann Jakob Pfeiffer, a preacher. The family relocated to Marburg when his father accepted a professorship in theology at the University of Marburg. After the early loss of his mother and the death of his father in 1791, Pfeiffer attended gymnasium in Marburg until he was fourteen. Subsequently, he undertook an apprenticeship in Cassel as a cloth merchant. He then worked as a traveling salesman based in Frankfurt before returning to Marburg, where he pursued language studies and attended lectures by leading scholars without formally enrolling at the university.
By 1803, Carl and his brother Georg were managing a snuff manufacturing business in Hanau, owned by their uncle Simon Rüppell and his associate Wilhelm von Harnier, both prominent bankers from Frankfurt. Utilizing his expertise in sales and proficiency in multiple languages, Carl broadened the tobacco trade throughout central Europe, journeying extensively across Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Switzerland. The Napoleonic Wars altered territorial boundaries—Cassel became the capital of the Kingdom of Westphalia while Hanau was incorporated into the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt—resulting in customs complications. To sustain their market presence in lower Hesse, the brothers established a second snuff factory in Cassel. Georg relocated to Cassel to oversee operations while Carl stayed in Hanau attempting to launch a Turkey red yarn-dyeing enterprise; this venture was unsuccessful.
Adapting to the economic changes following the war, the brothers shifted their focus from manufacturing to banking. After the Electorate of Hesse was reinstated, they closed the Hanau factory. Burkhard Wilhelm Pfeiffer and Georg acquired a distinguished property on Königsplatz in Cassel for 17,000 thaler; tobacco production continued behind this residence amid surrounding gardens. When Burkhard Wilhelm moved to Lübeck in 1820, Carl took up residence on the second floor of this building. Around 1825, Carl and Georg handed over the tobacco business to their cousins Hartmann and Wilhelm Pfeiffer and concentrated solely on banking enterprises.
Scientific contributions
During his time in Hanau, Carl Pfeiffer formed a friendship with naturalist Gottfried Gärtner, which ignited his passion for botany and natural history. He specialized in conchology, with a particular emphasis on land snails, an area later distinguished by his nephew Louis Pfeiffer. In both Hanau and Cassel, Carl dedicated evenings to gathering snails and mollusks from diverse environments, meticulously preserving and categorizing their shells. After scaling back his banking commitments post-1823, he devoted more effort to scientific research and published additional works on conchology. Despite lacking formal academic credentials, his contributions gained acknowledgment and led to memberships in several natural history societies located in Wetterau, Bonn, Frankfurt, Marburg, Paris, and Lund.
Species described
- Lithoglyphus naticoides
- Pisidium
- Stagnicola fuscus
- Clausilia obtusa
- Theodoxus prevostianus
- Macrogastra badia
- Urticicola umbrosus
- Vidovicia caerulans
- Clausilia minima
- Valvata (Atropidina) depressa
- Cochlodina costata
- Kosicia intermedia syn for Chilostoma intermedium
- Unio elongatulus
- Caucasotachea vindobonensis
- Carychium menkeanum
- Theodoxus danubialis
- Theodoxus transversalis
- Clausilia gracilis
- Fusulus interruptus
- Edentiella leucozona
- Edentiella lurida
- Clausilia pumila
- Holandriana holandrii
- Pseudofusulus varians
Family and later years
Carl Jonas Pfeiffer entered into matrimony twice during his lifetime. His first marriage, in 1808, was to Louise Marie Theodore (née Merrem), the daughter of renowned naturalist and University of Marburg academic Blasius Merrem. Together, they had three offspring: Georg Ludwig (1809–1892), Marie Sophie Christiane (1810–1850), and Carl Wilhelm Theodor (1816–post-1886). Louise's health declined over time, leading to her passing in 1827. Four years later, in 1831, Carl wed his childhood companion Friederike (née Günste). Unfortunately, that same year he experienced a severe stroke from which he never recuperated. He passed away on May 30, 1836, shortly after the marriage of his daughter. By this time, his eldest son had taken over the family banking enterprise, while his younger son embarked on a religious vocation in Switzerland. After Carl's death, his significant collection of malacological specimens was shared between his friend Dr. Karl Theodor Menke and his nephew Dr. Louis Pfeiffer.
Bibliography
- Systematic Arrangement and Description of German Land and Freshwater Snails, with Special Attention to Species Found So Far in Hesse. Schüppelschen Buchhandlung, Cassel, 1821.
- Natural History of German Land and Freshwater Mollusks, Volume 1. Publishers of the Grand Ducal Saxon Privileged State Industry Office, Weimar, 1825 (reprint of the above).
- Natural History of German Land and Freshwater Mollusks, Volume 2. Publishers of the Grand Ducal Saxon Privileged State Industry Office, Weimar, 1825.
- Natural History of German Land and Freshwater Mollusks, Volume 3. Publishers of the Grand Ducal Saxon Privileged State Industry Office, Weimar, 1828.
Further reading
- Pfeiffer, Carl Jonas in: Hessische Biografie (accessed 7 February 2022)