Konrad Zacharias Lorenz Autographs, Memorabilia & Collectibles

Konrad Zacharias Lorenz, an Austrian zoologist and ethologist, was born on November 7, 1903, in Vienna, Austria. As one of the principal founders of ethology, the scientific study of animal behavior, Lorenz's pioneering work has left an enduring impact on the field.

Lorenz's academic journey started at Columbia University, but he soon returned to Vienna to complete his medical degree in 1928. Subsequently, he earned a Ph.D. in zoology in 1933. A turning point in his early career was his formulation of the concept of imprinting, a rapid learning process in young animals, which he demonstrated using newly hatched goslings that bonded with him as their 'parent'.

During the 1930s and 1940s, Lorenz collaborated with fellow ethologist Nikolaas Tinbergen, with their combined efforts laying the foundation for modern ethology. Their observational and experimental work emphasized instinctive behaviors in animals and the concept of the fixed action pattern. By the 1960s, Lorenz's contributions to the understanding of animal behavior were widely recognized. In 1973, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine alongside Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von Frisch. The trio was honored for their discoveries concerning the organization and elicitation of individual and social behavior patterns in animals.

Lorenz's influential books, such as "King Solomon's Ring" (1949) and "On Aggression" (1963), expanded the reach of ethology beyond the scientific community, sparking interest in the broader public and contributing to interdisciplinary dialogues with fields like psychology and anthropology.