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Bernhard Studer

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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BERNHARD STUDER (1794-1887), Swiss geologist, was born at Buren, near Berne, in August 1794. Although educated as a clergyman, he became so interested in geology at the university of Göttingen that he devoted his life to its pursuit. He subsequently studied at Freiburg, Berlin and Paris, and in 1816 was appointed teacher of mathematics and physics in the Berne Academy. In 1825 he published Beytrage zu einer Monographie der Molasse. Later on he commenced his detailed investigations of the western Alps, and published in 1834 his Geologie der westlichen Schweizer-Alpen. In the same year, largely through his influence, the university of Berne was established and he became the first professor of mineralogy. His Geologie der Schweiz in two vols. (1851-1853), and his geological maps of Switzerland prepared with the assistance of Arnold Escher von der Linth, are monuments of his research. In 1859 he organized the geological survey of Switzerland, being appointed president of the commission, and retaining this position until the close of his life. It has been remarked by Marcou that Studer was present at the first meeting of the Societe helvetique des sciences naturelles at Geneva on the 6th of October 1815, and remained a member during 72 years. He was awarded the Wollaston medal by the Geological Society of London, 1879. He died at. Berne on the 2nd of May 1887.

Obituary by Jules Marcou, Ann. rep. amer. acad. sci. for 1888.