Friedrich von Berchtold

1781–1876 

Friedrich von Berchtold (1781–1876) studied medicine, although he did not pursue a medical career for long, as he devoted himself primarily to botany. He discovered a number of plant species and focused on botanical research, specialising particularly in farm crops. Von Berchtold’s name is associated with his support for the nascent Czech natural sciences and with his journeys to far-flung regions. 

 

Friedrich von Berchtold played an important role in the history of the natural sciences in the Czech lands, not only as a scientist, but also as a patron. From his starting point in Tučapy near Tábor, where von Berchtold practiced medicine until 1815, he embarked on numerous botanical expeditions around southern Bohemia. From a botanical point of view, however, he was attracted by the areas around Prague and the Central Bohemian Highlands. Friedrich von Berchtold’s interest in botany was apparently instilled in him by Count Kaspar Maria von Sternberg and in 1819 these two men helped fund the publication of the first complete book on Czech flora, Flora Čechica, by the Presl brothers. From 1820 Count von Berchtold worked closely with Jan Svatopluk Presl as the co-author of the famous work on the characteristics of plants and how they are used for economic, medicinal and artistic purposes, entitled O přirozenosti rostlin aneb Rostlinář [On the Nature of Plants or The Plant Breeder] (they published two extensive volumes before 1835; the third, unfortunately, was never completed). Count von Berchtold also provided funding for Presl’s “encyclopaedic” journal Krok. Together with other botanists Friedrich von Berchtold published a book entitled Ökonomisch-technische Flora Böhmens (The Economic-Technical Flora of Bohemia), on agricultural (utility) plants, followed by a large work about potatoes in 1842.

 

Count von Berchtold was a great Czech patriot and in 1817–1818 drew up a detailed plan for the establishment of the Patriotic Museum. Although this idea was advocated in 1818 by Count Kaspar von Sternberg, Count von Berchtold became one of its first Czech members, and also donated his Czech herbarium to the museum. 

Von Berchtold’s spent much of his long life taking journeys to areas close by as well as to more distant regions in his pursuit of scientific research. In 1846–1847, for instance, he accompanied the Viennese traveller Ida Pfeifer on her voyage around the world. He brought a great deal of valuable scientific material back from his travels. Friedrich von Berchtold spent the last years of his life in Moravia, at Buchlov castle, where he died in 1876.

 

References

Hanuš, J.: Národní museum a naše obrození. 1. díl, Praha 1921, s. 261–262.

Hanuš, J.: Národní museum a naše obrození. 2. díl, Praha 1923.

Hoffmannová, E.: J. S. Presl, K. B. Presl. Praha 1973.

Koleška, Z.: Berchtold Bedřich Všemír 25.10.1781 – 3.4.1876. In: Biografický slovník českých zemí 4. Praha 2006, s. 437─438. 

Volf, H.: Významní členové a spolupracovníci Vlastenecko-hospodářské společnosti v Království českém. Praha 1967.

Zapletal, V.: Z listáře Bedřicha Berchtolda s bratry Preslovými k počátkům „Kroka“. Zprávy komise pro dějiny přírodních, lékařských a technických věd ČSAV. 2/1960, s. 21.

LeO