Portrait of Ernst Boll

• first secretary of the Association of Friends of Natural History in Mecklenburg

In 1847 the “Association of Friends of Natural History in Mecklenburg” was founded on the initiative of Albrecht von Maltzan, a nature-loving Mecklenburg land owner. Ernst Friedrich August Boll (1817-1868), the Neubrandenburg private scholar, was appointed as it first secretary. The versatile natural scientist controlled the fate of the association for more than 20 years. For the first time all natural scientists in Mecklenburg had the opportunity to work together and exchange professional opinions. An annually published “Archive” became the publication organ of the association. It reflected the entire breadth of its members‘ areas of interest in terms of natural science.

In 1866, Ernst Boll called on the association members to provide material for the collections in the newly founded “Maltzan Natural History Museum for Mecklenburg” in Waren.