February 27th 1931 - Wasman Erich
† in Valkenburg
His father Rudolf Friedrich was a painter who came from Hamburg. At an age of 24 he moved to Munich. He lived some years in Rome where he joined the Nazarene. Since 1840 Meran became his new home town. There he died in the year 1886 at an age of 81. Wasmann painted portraits and landscapes. There is a painting from him in the Hamburg Arts Centre: 'Early Snow in Meran'. A photo of that picture is found in the 'Large Brockhaus'.
In Meran was on May 29th 1858 also born his son Eric who entered on August 29th 1875 in Holland the Society of Jesus and died on February 27th 1931 in Valkenburg (Holland).
Because of tuberculosis of the lung he had to be much in the open air. That led him to observe and study the life of the ants. Later he expanded his studies also to the termites.
In the year 1888 he was ordained priest and studied afterwards in Prague zoology (1890/92). Afterwards in Exaten, Luxembourg and Valkenburg he lived completely for his research. It made him an important entomologist and animal psychologist.
Wasmann became the mental leader of the Catholics in biological questions. He was co-initiator of the scientific section of the Görres-Gesellschaft. As first Catholic clergyman he publicly stood up - long before Teilhard de Chardin - for Darwin's descendence and selection theories. He was critically observed by Catholic Church leaders who were moulded by the Kulturkampf. Wasmann brought the proof that (and in which respect) the newest knowledge of the natural sciences was compatible with the Christian world view.
Wasmann left more than seven hundred scientific writings. The Museum of Sciences in Maastricht with Wasmann's myrmecophile collection is world-famous. He is considered as expert for questions of biology, instinct research, descent and evolution etc. That can be seen also by the many honours given to him. He was a member of the Institute Grand Ducal in Luxembourg, of the Societé Scientologique de Bruxelles, of the Societé Entomologique de Belgique and of the same society in London, likewise of the Spanish, Brazilian and German Entomological Societies. He was an honorary doctor of the University of Freiburg and of other universities. To his seventieth birthday a Wasmann-Anniversary-Volume was published in his honours.
Already in 1897 his book about Instinct And Intelligence in the Animal Kingdom was published; in 1909 his book 'The Psychological Abilities of the Ants' and in 1919 'Haeckel's Monism - a Culture Danger'.
Eric Wasmann died at an age of 72 without the prospect of a successor.
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