| Activity | Not to be confused with his more famous namesake, the sociologist, Max Weber the zoologist forged a considerable reputation for himself as an expedition organizer and descriptive biologist. Weber's great skill as a comparative morphologist was well-served by his associations with the zoological garden and museum in Amsterdam, as he was thus able to secure a regular stream of deceased exotic specimens for examination. At the same time, he was an outstanding field biologist and collector, and is still remembered for his productive expeditions to the Dutch East Indies. During these he developed well-thought out ideas on the region's biogeography, taking an especial interest in the unusual circumstances of the great island of Sulawesi (Celebes). Weber's most important publication, 1904's Die Säugetiere, remained a standard text on the systematics and anatomy of mammals through much of the twentieth century; he also left behind an enviable legacy as a model teacher and professional scientist.
1879 made lecturer in anatomy at University of Utrecht. 1881 joins collecting expedition to the Barents Sea. 1883 made professor extraordinary in zoology, comparative anatomy, and comparative physiology at University of Amsterdam, made ordinary professor there in 1884. 1888 travels to Dutch East Indies, collectin zoological and ethnological materials. 1892 appointed first director of the Zoological Musuem, Amsterdam. 1889 leaves his ordinary professorship position; re-appointed professor extraordinary. 1899 - 1900 leads the Siboga expedition to the Dutch East Indies. 1935 elected a foreign member of the Royal Society of London. |