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Gorjanovi}-Kramberger's Research on Krapina – Its Impact on Paleoanthropology in Germany

WINFRIED HENKE ; Johannes Gutenberg-University, Department of Biology (10), Institute of Anthropology (1050), D-55099 Mainz

Sažetak

This paper attempts to characterize the scientific impact of Karl (Dragutin) Gorjanović-Kramberger’s research on the initiation of German paleoanthropology. The Croatian paleontologist was born in 1856 in Zagreb. His father’s German origins paved the way for his career. Gorjanović-Kramberger started studying in Zürich, but transferred quickly to Munich to study paleontology and geology at Karl von Zittel’s Institute. He earned his doctoral degree in 1879 from the University of Tübingen. Gorjanović-Kramberger curated the Croatian National Museum in Zagreb from 1880 onwards. He was appointed as an assistant professor in 1884 and was promoted to full professor in 1896 in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University
of Zagreb. From 1893 until 1923, he headed the Geological Paleontological Department of the Croatian National Museum. Gorjanović--Kramberger’s excavation, description and interpretation of the large Neandertal sample from Krapina earned him international esteem. As Gorjanović-Kramberger published his remarkable findings primarily in German and Austrian periodicals and associated mostly with German-speaking colleagues, it is of scientific-historical interest with which colleagues he had scientific cooperation, alliances and disputes and how his research influenced German paleoanthropology. The bibliographical analysis of the relevant literature demonstrates that the Croatian paleontologist was
highly integrated in the German-Austrian scientific community. His intriguing Paleolithic fossils yielded great interest and his conclusions were met with both enthusiastic agreement and fierce objection, since Darwinism was only very skeptically adopted at the time. Gorjanović-Kramberger’s innovative approach triggered paleoanthropological debate in Germany, but did not induce a paradigmatic change.

Ključne riječi

scientific history; mentors; alliances; cooperation; friendships; innovative approaches

Hrčak ID:

83106

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/83106

Datum izdavanja:

31.10.2006.

Posjeta: 2.453 *