Quick Facts
| Intro | German zoologist, diplomat and historian |
| Was | Diplomat Historian Zoologist Museum director |
| From | Germany |
| Field | Arts Biology Social science Politics |
| Gender | male |
| Birth | 30 August 1793, Münster, Germany |
| Death | 23 April 1871, Berlin, Margraviate of Brandenburg (aged 77 years) |
| Star sign | Virgo |
Biography
Ignaz Franz Werner Maria von Olfers (30 August 1793 – 23 April 1871) was a German naturalist, historian and diplomat. Olfers was born in Münster. In 1816 he travelled to Brazil as a diplomat.
In 1839 he was made director of the royal art collections and had significant influence on Frederick William IV of Prussia for a re-development of the Museumsinsel, Berlin. Together with architect Friedrich August Stueler he developed the concept of the Neues Museum, Berlin and had great influence on organisation and presentation of exhibits and interior. His daughter was the writer and illustrator Marie von Olfers.
Olfers described a number of new mammal species in Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege's Journal von Brasilien (1818).
A species of South American snake, Philodryas olfersii, is named in his honor.
