JACQUIN, Nicolaus Joseph Frh. von
* 16. 2. 1727, Leiden, the Netherlands
† 26. 10. 1817, Vienna, Austria
Chemist, botanist
As the son of wealthy parents who possessed factory goods in Leiden, J. studied in his hometown of Löwn and in Paris, including medicine. His career path began in the Paris hospital, although his initial interests were chemistry and botany. A good family friend Gerard van Swieten, a professor at the University of Vienna and the house doctor of Empress Maria Teresa, invited him to Vienna in 1752.
Here he began a systematic characterization of plants from the Royal Garden of Schönbrunn Palace using the Linne system. He was sent to the West Indies (1755-1759) by Francis I to collect plants for botanical research in the Caribbean Sea, which were later planted in the royal garden. In 1763 he became Professor of metallurgy and chemistry at the Mining Academy in Banská Štiavnica. In 1768 he was appointed Professor of Botany and Chemistry and became Director of the botanical gardens of the University of Vienna.
