Thaddäus Haenke

Life & Legacy

Thaddäus Xaverius Peregrinus Haenke (also Thaddeus Haenke; Czech: Tadeáš Haenke; Spanish: Tadeo Haenke; 5 October 1761 – 4 November 1816) was a Czech botanist and explorer. He participated in the Malaspina Expedition, exploring a significant portion of the Pacific basin including the coasts of North and South America, Australia, the Philippines, New Zealand, and the Marianas. His collections of botanical specimens were the basis for the initial scientific descriptions of many plants in these regions, particularly South America and the Philippines. His extensive botanical work and far-ranging travel have prompted some to liken him to a "Bohemian Humboldt", named after Alexander von Humboldt, who made himself familiar with some of Haenke's findings before embarking on his journey to the Americas in 1799.