Ernst Boll

Ernst Boll

Ernst Friedrich August Boll (September 21, 1817, Neubrandenburg – January 20, 1868) was a German naturalist and historian. He was a brother to historian Franz Boll (1805–1875), with whom he worked with on numerous projects. Ernst Boll is remembered for his extensive research involving the natural history of Mecklenburg.

He studied theology and sciences in Bonn and Berlin, and following graduation in 1842, became a private tutor in the town of Friedland. In 1846 he was a founding member of Vereins der Freunde der Naturgeschichte Mecklenburg (Association of Friends of Natural History of Mecklenburg), of which he was editor of the groups' archives from 1847 until his death in 1868. In this position he penned many scientific articles on geology, petrography, zoology and botany. One of his more important writings was a treatise concerning history of the Mecklenburg region titled Die Geschichte Mecklenburgs, mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Culturgeschichte.

Boll was politically active and a supporter of liberal issues. He was a prominent member of the 1848 Neubrandenburger Reformbewegung (Neubrandenburg Reform Movement), and through this confederation became a good friend to novelist Fritz Reuter (1810–1874). After his death in 1868, his large collection of rocks and fossils were donated to the Neubrandenburg Museum, and are now part of the Natural History Collection of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Müritzeum, near the city of Waren.

Since 1992 the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has issued the Ernst-Boll-Umweltpreis (Ernst Boll Environment Prize).