Bernhard Grzimek

He was known as 'the man who spoke for the animals'. A public relations genius, Professor Bernhard Grzimek not only managed to create nationwide interest in the plight of endangered species and threatened habitats, but actively raised in excess of five million Marks in donations via his television show "Ein Platz für Tiere" ("A Place for Animals",1956-87). The series ran for 175 episodes, ending with Grzimek's death in1987. Entertainers performed for him without pay and he even motivated school kids to help collect funds to equip rangers for Africa's national wildlife parks. Veterinarian and behavioral scientist, Grzimek assumed the directorship of Frankfurt's Zoological Garden in 1945, a position he held until his retirement in 1974. For those 29 years, he was instrumental in modernizing zoological displays and animal enclosures, introducing educational slide shows, films and audio tapes, providing windows for the public to view food preparation and animal husbandry. In addition to breeding endangered species, Frankfurt's was the first European zoo to feature a special section which provided care for orphaned baby animals, including gorillas, orang-utans, panthers, lions and bears. Frankfurt's Zoological Society (for which Grzimek served as president) stood in the forefront of international conservation. Not shying away from controversy or confrontation, Grzimek was one of the first to vociferously oppose the factory farming of chickens on a political level. His status as a major public figure was confirmed with the release of his documentary Bambuti (1956). An even more successful sequel followed, the Academy Award-winning Serengeti (1959). Sadly, it cost the life of Grzimek's son Michael (until then his closest collaborator), aged 24, killed in a plane crash during filming. Between 1967 and 1974, Grzimek published a 13-volume encyclopedia, entitled "Grzimeks Tierleben". He received numerous awards, including the Federal Cross of Merit (Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz). His legacy survives in zoos around the world today.