Johann Wilhelm Weinmann
Gardelegen
1683 -
1741
The famous Regensburg pharmacist Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1683-1741) probably trained as a pharmacist in Hamburg. After his time as an assistant in various pharmacies, he bought the very neglected "Mohren-Apotheke" in Regensburg from P. C. Schoerer in 1712. Within no time, the pharmacy was returned to full functional and economic order and Johann Wilhelm Weinmann continued managing it up to death.
During the plague epidemic of 1713 his pharmacy became a designated lazaret pharmacy. In 1722 he was appointed to the "Äußerer Rat" of the city of Regensburg and from 1733-40 became "Stadtgerichtsbeisitzer", reflecting his high reputation in the city.
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann focused his studies mainly on plants and his work earned him great scientific acclaim among botanists. He wrote small pieces on aloe, cicuta aquatica, coffee tree and liriodendron tulipifera in the Breslau collections and published a catalog of drugs in his pharmacy.
His work about a comprehensive natural history collection, which he wrote together with important colleagues, was more extensive. In 1722 this collection contained over 9000 plant specimens. The painters D. Ehret and N. Assam painted the masters which formed the basis of a splendid four-volume book on plants and flowers, "Phytanthoza-iconographia", which Johann Wilhelm Weinmann produced with the help of some of the most important engravers of their time (B. Seuter, J. E. Ridinger and Joh. Jac. Haid).
This piece can be considered the first botanical book, which applied so-called color engraving. The explanatory descriptions, were written by the Regensburg physician J. G. N. Dietrichs. The work forms the peak of a large tradition of books on herbs, whereby its scientific value is outshone by its aesthetic value.
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann died before the work was completed. It was finished by Browne and Linné under the generic name "Weinmannia".
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