Ernst Vanhöffen, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Ernst Vanhöffen

German zoologist

Date of Birth: 15-Nov-1858

Place of Birth: Znamensk, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russia

Date of Death: 14-Jun-1918

Profession: zoologist, biologist, university teacher, botanist, explorer

Nationality: Germany

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Ernst Vanhöffen (15 November 1858, in Wehlau – 14 June 1918) was a German zoologist. He studied geology, botany and zoology at the universities of Berlin and Königsberg, graduating in 1888 with the thesis Untersuchungen über semaeostome und rhizostome Medusen.
In 1889–90 he conducted research of jellyfish at the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples. In 1892–93 he participated in a Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin-sponsored expedition to West Greenland under the leadership of Erich von Drygalski (1865–1949).
Afterwards, he worked for a few years at the Institute of Zoology in Kiel.
In 1898–99 he took part in the Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition aboard the steamship "Valdivia".
From an abundant yield of deep-sea marine fauna collected on the expedition, Vanhöffen was tasked with processing medusa species. After his return to Germany, he served as a lecturer at the University of Kiel, attaining the title of professor in March 1901.
From August 1901 to November 1903 he was a member of the Deutschen Südpolar-Expedition aboard the research vessel "Gauss".
Led by Erich von Drygalski, the expedition endured periods of hardship due to the "Gauss" being trapped in Antarctic ice for several months.
Vanhoffen Bluff (Coordinates: 53°0'S 73°21'E) was named in his honor.