One hundred years after the birth of Anton Dohrn, Theodor Heuss, first president of the Federal Republic of Germany and a friend of the Dohrn family compiled a biography of Dohrn. In it, not only does he convey the family history of this great founder but combines life history with scientific and cultural history. As a result an excellent overview has been created providing a good insight into the cultural, political and scientific life in both Germany and Italy at the turn of the century.

One hundred years after the birth of Anton Dohrn, Theodor Heuss, first president of the Federal Republic of Germany and a friend of the Dohrn family compiled a biography of Dohrn. In it, not only does he convey the family history of this great founder but combines life history with scientific and cultural history. As a result an excellent overview has been created providing a good insight into the cultural, political and scientific life in both Germany and Italy at the turn of the century.

I The Ancestors.- 1 Heinrich Dohrn.- 2 Carl August Dohrn.- II Youth and Development.- 1 The School Years in Stettin.- 2 Studies.- 3 Jena, 1866.- 4 Friedrich Albert Lange.- 5 The Road to Becoming a Professor.- 6 Messina.- 7 In the Midst of Decisions.- III The Daring Experiment.- 1 The Growth of the Naples Plan.- 2 The Investigative Trip to Naples.- 3 Interruption by the War.- 4 Uncertain Preludes.- 5 The Beginning in Naples.- 6 The Programmatic Essay.- 7 The Building Crisis.- 8 The Road to the Reich and the Confederate States The plan of the "work tables".- 9 Ffriends and Collaborators in the Early Naples Period.- 10 New Needs and New Help.- IV The Struggle for the Project.- 1 The Station is Opened.- 2 "Commis Voyageur".- 3 The Organization and Growth of the Station.- 4 Scientific Work and Scientific Polemics.- 5 Robert von Keudell.- 6 The Subsidy from the German Reich.- 7 Marriage and Family.- 8 Italy's Contribution.- 9 Relationship to Bismarck.- 10 The Laboratory Boat.- V Security and Accomplishment.- 1 Casa Dohrn.- 2 The Rise to Fame.- 3 Separations and Encounters.- 4 Marie Dohrn.- 5 Alexander Davis.- 6 Conflict with Althoff.- 7 The Jubilee.- 8 The Great New Building.- 9 Attempt at a Portrait.- 10 Toward the End.- Postscript.- The House on Rione Amedeo.- Reminiscences of Margret Boveri.- Letters by Anton Dohrn.- Homage to Friedrich Albert Lange.- Ideological Discussion with Haeckel (1867).- Du Bois-Reymond is Told the Plan for the Station (1871).- An Intimate Letter to Grant (1876).- The Plans and the Question of the Call to Berlin (1883).- Feelings of Victory and Conflicts at Home (to his sister) (1884).- On the Death of Ernst Abbe (1905).- Notes and References.- Index of Names.- List of Figures.

One hundred years after the birth of Anton Dohrn, his biography was compiled by Theodor Heuss, first president of the Federal Republic of Germany and a friend of the Dohrn family. Heuss not only conveys the family history of this great scientist, but also interweaves scientific and cultural history into his narrative. As a result a fascinating yet true story which provides insight into the cultural, political and scientific life in both Germany and Italy at the turn of the century has been created. "Anton Dohrn (1840-1909) was founder of the once world-famous zoological station at Naples, 'a permanent international congress of zoologists' ...written as a classic 'life and letters', A Life for Science...gives an excellent description of an interesting scientist in touch with the leading biologists of his time." (Arch. of Natural History)