1. Jakob von Uexküll
(1864 - 1944 )
in Hamburg
1925 - 1939
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

2. Jakob von Uexküll (1864 – 1944)
stations of his life
*1864 in Keblas, today Mihkli (Estonia)
father: mayor of Reval (Tallin)
Baltic-German nobility
1884-89 University of Dorpat, Tartu (zoology)
1889-1903 Physiologisches Institut der
Universität Heidelberg bei (Wilhelm
Kühne (1837-1900)
1892-1903 Naples Zoological Station
1907 Honorary Doctorate,
University of Heidelberg
1925 University of Hamburg
1939 retired
† 1944, Capri
Jakob von Uexküll, ca. 1903
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

3. Famous Publications
• 1909 Umwelt und Innenwelt der
Tiere
• 1920 Theoretische Biologie
• 1934 Streifzüge durch die
Umwelten von Tieren und
Menschen
• 1936 Niegeschaute Welten.
(Reminiscences)
• 1940 Bedeutungslehre
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4. from Physiology to a general Biology
„Only the investigation of living beings as subjects
can lead physiology onto the right way.
And studying subjects means practizing Biology“ (Uexküll 1933)
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

5. Uexküll‘s renewed Biology
 Biology should
- study organisms
not as objects,
but as active subjects that are
creating their “Umwelt”
- focus on the organism’s
abilities to integrate itself into a
complex environment
“Umweltforschung”:
the investigation of:
the communicative unity of the
organism and the world sensed
by it.
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6. „Umwelt“
unique phenomenal world
embracing each individual,
like a “soap bubble”
the world of an animal
(human), the perception of
which is determined by the
animal’s design, it’s activity,
needs, etc.
the individual organism is
always actively creating it’s
Umwelt
„The Umwelt of an astronomer“,
illustration by Thure v. Uexküll, 1934
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7. Funktionskreis – function-circle
Illustrating:
– the complex
interrelation of an
organism and the
objects of its
environment.
– the Unity of
• sensing and
acting
• the subject
and the object
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8. Summarizing Uexküll’s Biology
The scientist is a subject, and pure objectivity is a myth.
The secrets of life cannot be revealed just by looking for
physical or chemical causality.
Organisms are more than mechanisms;
their fascinating abilities and behavior are based on sign processes –
perception and transmission of signs to which meaning is ascribed
according to their significance in different situations.
Terminology of signs: „Merkzeichen, Wirkzeichen
Lokalzeichen, Momentzeichen, Merk – und Wirkmal“
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9. Uexküll dicovered as “Cryptosemiotician”
1977 Thomas A. Sebeok:
“Jakob von Uexküll - A neglected figures in the history of semiotics.
on the III. Wiener Symposium über Semiotik
1980 Thure von Uexküll: „Komposionslehre der Natur“ (Selected Works)
1981/87 „The sign Theory of Jakob von Uexküll“ in Klassiker der Semiotik
1993 Jakob von Uexküll-Centre, Tartu (Estonia), founded in close
relation to „Tartu Semiotic School of Yuri Lotman
2001: Special issue of the journal Semiotica:
„Jakob von Uexküll – A new paradigm for Biology and Semiotics“
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

10. Uexkülls outstanding discoveries in Physiology
• Invertebrates have distinct and seperate
muscles for tension and contraction
• In simple nerve nets excitation is always
flowing to the extended muscle
(„Uexkülls law“)
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11. Some Honours
1907 Dr. med. h.c.
Univ Heidelberg
1934 Dr phil. h.c.
Univ. Kiel
1936 Dr. Wis-en Naturkunde
Univ. Utrecht
1932 Leopoldina in Halle
1944 Goethe Medaille
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

12. „Hard-science“ in marine research
laboratories
1892-1903 Naples
Anton Dohrn‘s Zoological Station
1904-1914:
Beck sur mer
Biaritz
Roscoff
Monaco
The idea of a
„flying aquarium“
Uexküll and L.G. Tirala in Biaritz, 1914
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

13. Finding Uexküll „his own“ laboratory
in Hamburg
Otto Cohnheim (Kestner ) (1873-1953)
Since 1990ies with Uexküll in Heidelberg and Naples
1913 from Heidelberg to Hamburg
Physiologisches Institut – Eppendorf Hospital
(Research on Enzymes, Physiology of UV-light,
respiration)
1919 Ordinarius of Physiology, University institute
Nominated Uexküll for the Nobel-price - twice
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14. Hamburg
– Laboratorium/Institut für Umweltforschung
1925-1938 in old Zoological Garten
1925 „wissenschaftlicher
Hilfsarbeiter“
„Laboratorium für
Umweltforschung“
1927 „außerordentlicher
Professor“
Tiergartenstr.1
1935? Visit of Konrad Lorenz
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15. First „own“ laboratory
The Aquarium in the old Zoological
Garden
(built by William Lloyd in 1870)
„Laboratorium für Umweltforschung“
in the small shop left of the
entrance
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16. 1938 – 1959 in Gurlittstr. 37
1940 Prof. Friedrich Brock (1889-
1959) assistent since 1926
successor of Uexküll
1941 Emilie Kiep-Altenloh (1888-1964)
(sociologist, politician)
associate since 1935
heads intitute during the war,
teaching guide-dogs essential to
war effort
1946 Brock returns
1959 closed after Brocks death
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17. Examples of creative research in the institute
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

18. Friedrich Brock: Interaction of the Hermit crab
with the sea anemone (Sagartia).
Funktionskreis; Behausung
• 1. crab with a shell house
puts the anemone upon its
house
-------------------------------------
• 2. “naked” crab takes the
anemone as protector until it
finds a shell.
-------------------------------------
Funktionskreis; Nahrung
• 3. If the crab is already in
symbiosis with anemones,
than it interprets the
F. Brock (1927): Das Verhalten des Einsiedlerkrebses Pagurus arrosor
appearance of another
Herbst während des Aufsuchens, Ablösens und Aufpflanzens einer anemone as a welcome
Seerose(...). Roux‘ Archiv für Entwicklungsmechanik 112 prey, it starts to feed on the
Aus: Uexküll J. von, Kriszat G. 1934 animal.
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19. “subjective space” (Der subjektive Raum) of the animal
Uexküll J. v., Brock F. 1927. Atlas zur Bestimmung der Orte in den Sehräumen der Tiere. –
Zeitschrift für vergleichende Physiologie 5: 167-178.
human Musca - Photographic image represents the
human Sehraum. By using a grids
with different pitches of the matrix
the resolution of the compound eye
of a fly (Musca) or the eye of a
mussel (Pecten) was emulated - the
pitch of the raster, corresponding to
the sensory elements in the eyes of
the animals. Dots corresponding to
“visual locations in the visual space.
“Sehorte”
- In order to eliminate the artifacts of
the grid, aquarell paintings of the
supposed Umwelten were
produced:
Science-based pieces of art
Grid, raster pitch Pecten
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20. Applied Umweltforschung:
Teaching guide dogs - the method of Uexküll-
Sarris
The cart of the size of a man forces some features (obstacles)
of the human Umwelt into the dog‘s Umwelt
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

21. Intellectual „Umwelt“ in Hamburg
Adolf Meyer-(Abich) (1893-1971)
Philosopher of Biology
Holist
Ernst Cassirer (1874-1945)
„Philosophie der symbolischen
Formen“
„Essay on man“ (1944)
William Stern (1871-1938)
„Pferdestall“ „Persönlichkeitspsychologie“
University building housing the
Institute of Psychology
Heinz Werner
„Entwicklungspsychologie“
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22. 1940-1944 Evening of his Life on Capri
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics

23. Jakob von Uexküll-Archiv
für Umweltforschung und
Biosemiotik
at the University of Hamburg
Keeping: books and offprints
of Uexküll‘s scientific library
and the library of the
„Institute für
Umweltforschung“
Collecting:
Uexküll,
Umweltforschung,
Biosemiotics
www.math.uni-hamburg.de/home/rueting
Torsten Rüting - Centre for the History of Science, Mathematics