Abstract

The paper discusses the individual learned gardeners and assistant learned gardeners of the Botanical Garden of the University of Tartu against the backdrop of the development of botanical research areas at the university and species diversity in the botanical garden in 1803–1918. It also addresses the university’s botany professors / garden directors and assistant directors, focusing in more detail on the learned gardeners, who were more notable for their activities prior to commencing work in Tartu or during or after their Tartu period. A total of 22 learned gardeners and 14 assistant learned gardeners have been identified. Among them were persons from Germany, as well as representatives of other nationalities, including Estonians, Poles, Russians and local Germans. The employment duration of the learned gardeners at the botanical garden lasted from a few months to 42 years. The longest serving learned gardener was Wilhelm Eduard Stelling, a local German. Among the learned gardeners, the career and activities of Johann Anton Weinmann, Ludwig Riedel and Jan Muszynski stood out. After leaving Tartu, Weinmann and Muszynski became outstanding researchersin St. Petersburg and Poland, respectively, and Riedel emerged as a sucessful plant collector, scientific organiser and developer of park culture in Brazil.