Johann August Ephraim Goeze

Life and work

Goeze was the son of Johann Heinrich and Catherine Margarete (née Kirchhoff). He studied theology and philosophy at University of Halle. He married Leopoldine Maria Keller in 1770, by whom he had four children. In 1751, he became a pastor in Aschersleben, in Quedlinburg, and later of in Quedlinburg in 1762, finally becoming first deacon of the seminary of Quedlinburg in 1787. He died in Quedlinburg.

Goeze became interested in zoology around 1772, and was interested in the history of the reformation prior to it. He saw a microscope while visiting Samuel Gottlieb Hoffmann in Leipzig and purchased it by selling a part of his library. He began to explore the microscopic world and did much work with aquatic invertebrates, particularly insects and worms. In 1784, Goeze perceived the similarities between the heads of tapeworms found in the human intestinal tract and the invaginated heads of Cysticercus cellulosae in pigs. In 1773, he was the first to describe tardigrades, naming them Kleiner Wasserbär, meaning 'little water-bear'. He described it under the title "Von einigen merkwürdigen Wasserinsekten" ("On Some Remarkable Water Insects") in an appendix to a translation of Charles Bonnet’s Traité d’Insectologie that he published. He illustrated it and it has been considered to represent the genus Hypsibius. In 1776 he published a translation of Philippe Fermin's work which included notes on the biology of the Surinam toad. In 1778 he identified the so-called Quedlinburg "unicorn" skeleton as being that of a rhinoceros and considered whether the climate in the region was different. He also took a special interest in helminths and collected tapeworm specimens. This collection was purchased for 1000 thaler by Emperor Joseph II for the University of Pavia.

Works

• Goeze, J. A. E. 1776. Verzeichnisse der Namen von Insecten und Wurmern, welche in dem Rosel, Kleemann und De Geer vorkommen. Naturforscher 9: 61-78 [1776], 81-85.
• with Charles De Geer Abhandlungen zur Geschichte der Insekten. Aus dem Französischen übersetzt und mit Anmerkungen hrsg. von Johann August Ephraim Goeze. Leipzig: J. C. Müller, 1776–1783.
• Goeze, J. A. E. 1782. Des Herrn Baron Karl Degeer Koniglichen Hofmarschalls .... Abhandlungen zur Geschichte der Insekten aus dem Franzosischen ubersetzt und mit Anmerkungen herausgegeben. Volume 6. 200 pp., 30 pls. Raspe, Nurnberg.
• Goeze, J. A. E. 1783. Entomologische Beyträge zu des Ritter Linné zwölften Ausgabe des Natursystems. Dritten Theiles vierter Band. - pp. I-XX, 1-178. Leipzig. (Weidmanns Erben und Reich).
• Goeze, J. A. E. 1787. Versuch einer Naturgeschichte der Eingeweidewūrmer thierischer Körper.

References

Sources

• Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Band 9, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1879, S. 530.online
• Allen G. Debus (dir.) (1968). World Who’s Who in Science. A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Scientists from Antiquity to the Present. Marquis-Who’s Who (Chicago) : xvi + 1855 p.

References

1. "AFIP index". Afip.org.
2. Greven, Hartmut. (2015). "About the little water bear: A commented translation of GOEZE'S note "Ueber den kleinen Wasserbär" from 1773". Acta Biologica Benrodis.
3. Cross, Ryan. (2016-11-07). "Secrets of the tardigrade". C&EN Global Enterprise.
4. Schill, Ralph O.. (2025). "250 years of tardigrades: Goeze's discovery of a rare and peculiar creature". Organisms Diversity & Evolution.
5. Goeze J.A.E. (1773). "Herrn Karl Bonnets Abhandlungen aus der Insektologie, aus dem Französischen übersetzt und mit einigen Zusätzen herausgegeben von Joh. August Ephraim Goeze, Pastor bei der St. Blasii Kirche in Quedlinburg.". JJ Gebauers Wittwe und Joh Jacob Gebauer.
6. Goeze, J.A.E.. (1786). "Ueber das vermeynte bei Quedlinburg gefundene Einhorn". Friedrich Joseph Ernst.
7. Greven, Hartmut. (2015). "About the little water bear*A commented translation of Goeze's note "Ueber den kleinen Wasserbär" from 1773". Acta Biologica Benrodis.
8. (22 September 2012). "Gaedike, R.; Groll, E. K. & Taeger, A. 2012: Bibliography of the entomological literature from the beginning until 1863 : online database - version 1.0 - Senckenberg Deutsches Entomologisches Institut.". Sdei.senckenberg.de.