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Sachs, Julius von

(Encyclopedia)Sachs, Julius von fə zäks [key], 1832–97, German botanist. A professor at the Univ. of Würzburg from 1868, he was a founder of experimental plant physiology. He demonstrated the importance of tra...

Drygalski, Erich von

(Encyclopedia)Drygalski, Erich von āˈrĭkh fən drēgälˈskē [key], 1865–1949, German polar explorer. A professor of geography at the Univ. of Munich, he led an expedition that wintered (1892–93) in W Green...

Joseph Barsabas, Saint

(Encyclopedia)Joseph Barsabas, Saint bärˈsəbəs [key], surnamed Justus, Matthias' competitor for the place among the disciples left vacant by Judas Iscariot. Lots were drawn, and Matthias won. Feast: July 20. ...

Chénier, Marie Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Chénier, Marie Joseph shānyāˈ [key], 1764–1811, French poet and dramatist, b. Constantinople; brother of André Chénier. A member of the Convention, the Council of Five Hundred, and the Tribun...

Hume, Joseph

(Encyclopedia)Hume, Joseph, 1777–1855, English politician and reformer. Although a Tory in early life, he sat in Parliament from 1818 to 1855 (with only one interruption) as an indefatigable Radical. Hume was a l...

Schwanthaler, Ludwig von

(Encyclopedia)Schwanthaler, Ludwig von lo͝otˈvĭkh fən shvänˈtälər [key], 1802–48, German sculptor. Though he was a neoclassicist, his later works were more in the romantic manner and devoted to themes tha...

Bekesy, Georg von

(Encyclopedia)Bekesy, Georg von gāˈôrk fən bĕkˈĭshē [key], 1899–1972, American biophysicist, b. Budapest, Hungary, grad. Univ. of Budapest (Ph.D. 1923). He was (1923–46) a physicist in the research labo...

Hevesy, Georg von

(Encyclopedia)Hevesy, Georg von gāˈôrkh fən hĕˈvĕshē [key], 1885–1966, Hungarian physicist and chemist. He received the 1943 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on the use of isotopes as tracers in stud...

Wissmann, Hermann von

(Encyclopedia)Wissmann, Hermann von hĕrˈmän fən vĭsˈmän [key], 1853–1905, German explorer in Africa. He crossed (1880–82) Africa from Luanda to Zanzibar and, on behalf of Leopold II of Belgium, explored ...

Bennigsen, Rudolf von

(Encyclopedia)Bennigsen, Rudolf von ro͞oˈdôlf fən bĕnˈĭksən [key], 1824–1902, German political leader. A liberal nationalist from Hanover, he favored German unification under a democratic Prussian state. ...