Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin

Who was Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin?

Nikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin (16 February 1727 – 26 October 1817) was a natural philosopher who studied medicine, chemistry and botany. He served as the first professor of chemistry in the mining academy at Schemnitz in Austria and later worked at the University of Vienna. He was the father of the botanist Joseph Franz von Jacquin. Jacquin was born in Leiden in the Netherlands, the son of cloth manufacturer Claudius Nikolaus (1694–1743) and Elisabeth Maria née Heyningen. He studied medicine at Leiden University, then moved first to Paris but did not complete his studies. His father's business declined and following Jacquin's father's death in 1743 he received help from Gerard van Swieten who had been their family physician. Their son Gottfried van Swieten (1733-1803) was also born in Leiden.

He travelled to the West Indies as part of an Austrian expedition and collected a large number of botanical specimens and described many species. He took an early interest in botany from interactions with Theodor Gronovius.

Historical significance

In Paris he attended the lectures of Antoine Jussieu. Van Swieten had moved to Vienna to serve as protomedicus to Maria Theresa.