Dr. Heinz Hartmann Heck, Former Zoological director at Catskill Game Farm
Catskill—For many decades the Heck name was synonymous with the zoos of Berlin and Munchen in Germany and Upstate New York.
Professor De. Ludwig Heck became the director of Berlin Zoological Gardens in 1888, and rapidly built this collection until by 1914 it was the largest of its kind in the world in terms of animal collection.
Like all German zoos, the severe financial problems occasioned by the inflationary pressures of World War II greatly reduced the collection, but allowed the exhibits to come through the war intact. Ludwig’s son Lutz became his principal assistant and by the 1930’s succeeded his father as director.
Just prior to the great war, a small zoo had been created in the suburbs of Munchen and it too saw severe problems and closed. Ludwig’s other son Heinz who had briefly worked for the Hagenbeck family in Hamburg viewed the Munchen site as possibility for a new kind of zoo, one designed along geographic lines, and saw to the creation of Tierpark Hellabrunn. Back in Berlin, Lutz who had married Heiga von Deines, had a daughter, Katrin (born in 1922 and died in 1943), and two sons, Lutz (born in 1924) and Heinz (23 September 1927). Both boys had the whole of the Berlin Zoo as a playground and they grew up often helped the keepers, and not surprisingly, became zoologist like their father, Lutz and Onkel Heinz in Munchen. Both the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark Hellabrunn became major attractions and animals were traded between the two zoos. But along came World War II, and both zoos suffered major damage. Tierpark Hellabrunn had acquired in 1936 and 1938 four of the new species of great ape, the Bonobo and one of the females was in fact pregnant when the remaining three died in an air raid on Tierpark Hellabrunn in 1944, which destroyed most of the Zoo. The Berlin Zoo in the center of the city suffered severely no doubt due its location.
As the war was coming to a close the family moved to Wiesbaden and young Heinz moved to his Onkel Heinz’s place in Munchen. Tierpark Hellabrunn like most German zoos began to rebuild and Heinz was employed at the zoo. He attended the University at Muchen where he received his Doctor rerum naturalism magna cum laude in 1951. He married Inna Dolgoff (born in 1928 in Ruga, Latvia ) in 1952.
About this time Roland Lindermann (also a former Berliner) was expanding his Catskill Game Farm in New York State into a major collection of ungulate mammals. One of the species he was most interested in was the Mongolian wild horse, and Tierpark Hellabrunn was the home of the one of the best herds in the world. The species was fast disappearing from its wild home, and Roland wanted very much to bring it to Catskill to build up a new group. He was successful in being able to acquire a number of Prezewalski horses for his zoo and was able to persuade Dr. Heinz Heck and his wife to accompany the horse to the U. S. in 1956 and perhaps become his curator, which Heinz did when he immigrated to the U. S. in 1959.
Daughter Margarete Heck was born in Munchen in 1959, and when only six weeks old moved with her parents to Catskill. A son, Georg was born in Albany in 1966 Heinz became a regular attendee of various zoo conferences in America. Heinz was submitting notes to Der Zoolgische Garten on species being bred in Catskill, such as the hatching of king vultures, a very rare event. In 1968 he was the author of the book Der Bison published in Germany. The Catskill Game Farm by this time held probably the premiere collection of rare ungulates, especially equines, deer and antelopes. Heinz Heck spent his 32 years at the Catskill Game Farm as their zoological director. Irina Heck passed away in 1980. Margarete was awarded her B. A. in Biology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1981, and her Ph. D. in Cell Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1988. Georg received his B. A. in Zoology from SUNY Oswego in 1988. Heinz retired from the Catskill Game Farm in 1991 at the age of 63.
Upon his retirement, Heinz moved to Parkton, Md., to live with his daughter Margarete. He often submitted articles for “The Zooculturist,” a journal published by the International Society of Zooculturist, a group interested to promoter the exchange of knowledge, experience and information between the private and public sectors, for the preservation and propagation of captive wildlife. His papers told of his boyhood in the Berlin Zoo, a trip by his grandfather at the turn of the century to the collect ion of Baron Falz-Fe3in at Askania-Nova in the Ukraine, histories of the Quaggo and Aurochs (now extinct wild ancestral species of zebras and cattle, respectively), and later a running column on zoological facts. Margarete and her husband Prof. William Earnshaw and their two children, Charles Lutz Heck Earnshaw (born in 1991) and Irina Katharine Heck Earnshaw) born 1993 immigrated to Scotland in 1996, and Heinz joined them. Both parents run active biomedical research laboratories in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. Georg is an account executive with R. & L Carners living in West Henrietta, N. Y., with his wife Kim, daughter, Julia Lynee Heck (born in 1994) and son Samuel Patrick Heck (born in 2000) Heinz enjoyed retired life in Scotland, especially spending time with Charles and Irina and their friends and reveling tin the European nature and wildlife once again.
Heinz died peacefully at this cottage next to his daughter’s house in Peebles, Scotland, March 3, 20002. He is survived by his brother Lutz, living in Sibylle and their two children in Germany, and his children, Margarete and George and their families.
Heinz will be laid to rest in the Catskill Rural Cemetery next to his wife Irina. The service will take place Aug 3, at 3 p.m.
Catskill—For many decades the Heck name was synonymous with the zoos of Berlin and Munchen in Germany and Upstate New York.
Professor De. Ludwig Heck became the director of Berlin Zoological Gardens in 1888, and rapidly built this collection until by 1914 it was the largest of its kind in the world in terms of animal collection.
Like all German zoos, the severe financial problems occasioned by the inflationary pressures of World War II greatly reduced the collection, but allowed the exhibits to come through the war intact. Ludwig’s son Lutz became his principal assistant and by the 1930’s succeeded his father as director.
Just prior to the great war, a small zoo had been created in the suburbs of Munchen and it too saw severe problems and closed. Ludwig’s other son Heinz who had briefly worked for the Hagenbeck family in Hamburg viewed the Munchen site as possibility for a new kind of zoo, one designed along geographic lines, and saw to the creation of Tierpark Hellabrunn. Back in Berlin, Lutz who had married Heiga von Deines, had a daughter, Katrin (born in 1922 and died in 1943), and two sons, Lutz (born in 1924) and Heinz (23 September 1927). Both boys had the whole of the Berlin Zoo as a playground and they grew up often helped the keepers, and not surprisingly, became zoologist like their father, Lutz and Onkel Heinz in Munchen. Both the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark Hellabrunn became major attractions and animals were traded between the two zoos. But along came World War II, and both zoos suffered major damage. Tierpark Hellabrunn had acquired in 1936 and 1938 four of the new species of great ape, the Bonobo and one of the females was in fact pregnant when the remaining three died in an air raid on Tierpark Hellabrunn in 1944, which destroyed most of the Zoo. The Berlin Zoo in the center of the city suffered severely no doubt due its location.
As the war was coming to a close the family moved to Wiesbaden and young Heinz moved to his Onkel Heinz’s place in Munchen. Tierpark Hellabrunn like most German zoos began to rebuild and Heinz was employed at the zoo. He attended the University at Muchen where he received his Doctor rerum naturalism magna cum laude in 1951. He married Inna Dolgoff (born in 1928 in Ruga, Latvia ) in 1952.
About this time Roland Lindermann (also a former Berliner) was expanding his Catskill Game Farm in New York State into a major collection of ungulate mammals. One of the species he was most interested in was the Mongolian wild horse, and Tierpark Hellabrunn was the home of the one of the best herds in the world. The species was fast disappearing from its wild home, and Roland wanted very much to bring it to Catskill to build up a new group. He was successful in being able to acquire a number of Prezewalski horses for his zoo and was able to persuade Dr. Heinz Heck and his wife to accompany the horse to the U. S. in 1956 and perhaps become his curator, which Heinz did when he immigrated to the U. S. in 1959.
Daughter Margarete Heck was born in Munchen in 1959, and when only six weeks old moved with her parents to Catskill. A son, Georg was born in Albany in 1966 Heinz became a regular attendee of various zoo conferences in America. Heinz was submitting notes to Der Zoolgische Garten on species being bred in Catskill, such as the hatching of king vultures, a very rare event. In 1968 he was the author of the book Der Bison published in Germany. The Catskill Game Farm by this time held probably the premiere collection of rare ungulates, especially equines, deer and antelopes. Heinz Heck spent his 32 years at the Catskill Game Farm as their zoological director. Irina Heck passed away in 1980. Margarete was awarded her B. A. in Biology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1981, and her Ph. D. in Cell Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1988. Georg received his B. A. in Zoology from SUNY Oswego in 1988. Heinz retired from the Catskill Game Farm in 1991 at the age of 63.
Upon his retirement, Heinz moved to Parkton, Md., to live with his daughter Margarete. He often submitted articles for “The Zooculturist,” a journal published by the International Society of Zooculturist, a group interested to promoter the exchange of knowledge, experience and information between the private and public sectors, for the preservation and propagation of captive wildlife. His papers told of his boyhood in the Berlin Zoo, a trip by his grandfather at the turn of the century to the collect ion of Baron Falz-Fe3in at Askania-Nova in the Ukraine, histories of the Quaggo and Aurochs (now extinct wild ancestral species of zebras and cattle, respectively), and later a running column on zoological facts. Margarete and her husband Prof. William Earnshaw and their two children, Charles Lutz Heck Earnshaw (born in 1991) and Irina Katharine Heck Earnshaw) born 1993 immigrated to Scotland in 1996, and Heinz joined them. Both parents run active biomedical research laboratories in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. Georg is an account executive with R. & L Carners living in West Henrietta, N. Y., with his wife Kim, daughter, Julia Lynee Heck (born in 1994) and son Samuel Patrick Heck (born in 2000) Heinz enjoyed retired life in Scotland, especially spending time with Charles and Irina and their friends and reveling tin the European nature and wildlife once again.
Heinz died peacefully at this cottage next to his daughter’s house in Peebles, Scotland, March 3, 20002. He is survived by his brother Lutz, living in Sibylle and their two children in Germany, and his children, Margarete and George and their families.
Heinz will be laid to rest in the Catskill Rural Cemetery next to his wife Irina. The service will take place Aug 3, at 3 p.m.
Dr. Heinz Hartmann Heck, Former Zoological director at Catskill Game Farm
Catskill—For many decades the Heck name was synonymous with the zoos of Berlin and Munchen in Germany and Upstate New York.
Professor De. Ludwig Heck became the director of Berlin Zoological Gardens in 1888, and rapidly built this collection until by 1914 it was the largest of its kind in the world in terms of animal collection.
Like all German zoos, the severe financial problems occasioned by the inflationary pressures of World War II greatly reduced the collection, but allowed the exhibits to come through the war intact. Ludwig’s son Lutz became his principal assistant and by the 1930’s succeeded his father as director.
Just prior to the great war, a small zoo had been created in the suburbs of Munchen and it too saw severe problems and closed. Ludwig’s other son Heinz who had briefly worked for the Hagenbeck family in Hamburg viewed the Munchen site as possibility for a new kind of zoo, one designed along geographic lines, and saw to the creation of Tierpark Hellabrunn. Back in Berlin, Lutz who had married Heiga von Deines, had a daughter, Katrin (born in 1922 and died in 1943), and two sons, Lutz (born in 1924) and Heinz (23 September 1927). Both boys had the whole of the Berlin Zoo as a playground and they grew up often helped the keepers, and not surprisingly, became zoologist like their father, Lutz and Onkel Heinz in Munchen. Both the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark Hellabrunn became major attractions and animals were traded between the two zoos. But along came World War II, and both zoos suffered major damage. Tierpark Hellabrunn had acquired in 1936 and 1938 four of the new species of great ape, the Bonobo and one of the females was in fact pregnant when the remaining three died in an air raid on Tierpark Hellabrunn in 1944, which destroyed most of the Zoo. The Berlin Zoo in the center of the city suffered severely no doubt due its location.
As the war was coming to a close the family moved to Wiesbaden and young Heinz moved to his Onkel Heinz’s place in Munchen. Tierpark Hellabrunn like most German zoos began to rebuild and Heinz was employed at the zoo. He attended the University at Muchen where he received his Doctor rerum naturalism magna cum laude in 1951. He married Inna Dolgoff (born in 1928 in Ruga, Latvia ) in 1952.
About this time Roland Lindermann (also a former Berliner) was expanding his Catskill Game Farm in New York State into a major collection of ungulate mammals. One of the species he was most interested in was the Mongolian wild horse, and Tierpark Hellabrunn was the home of the one of the best herds in the world. The species was fast disappearing from its wild home, and Roland wanted very much to bring it to Catskill to build up a new group. He was successful in being able to acquire a number of Prezewalski horses for his zoo and was able to persuade Dr. Heinz Heck and his wife to accompany the horse to the U. S. in 1956 and perhaps become his curator, which Heinz did when he immigrated to the U. S. in 1959.
Daughter Margarete Heck was born in Munchen in 1959, and when only six weeks old moved with her parents to Catskill. A son, Georg was born in Albany in 1966 Heinz became a regular attendee of various zoo conferences in America. Heinz was submitting notes to Der Zoolgische Garten on species being bred in Catskill, such as the hatching of king vultures, a very rare event. In 1968 he was the author of the book Der Bison published in Germany. The Catskill Game Farm by this time held probably the premiere collection of rare ungulates, especially equines, deer and antelopes. Heinz Heck spent his 32 years at the Catskill Game Farm as their zoological director. Irina Heck passed away in 1980. Margarete was awarded her B. A. in Biology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1981, and her Ph. D. in Cell Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1988. Georg received his B. A. in Zoology from SUNY Oswego in 1988. Heinz retired from the Catskill Game Farm in 1991 at the age of 63.
Upon his retirement, Heinz moved to Parkton, Md., to live with his daughter Margarete. He often submitted articles for “The Zooculturist,” a journal published by the International Society of Zooculturist, a group interested to promoter the exchange of knowledge, experience and information between the private and public sectors, for the preservation and propagation of captive wildlife. His papers told of his boyhood in the Berlin Zoo, a trip by his grandfather at the turn of the century to the collect ion of Baron Falz-Fe3in at Askania-Nova in the Ukraine, histories of the Quaggo and Aurochs (now extinct wild ancestral species of zebras and cattle, respectively), and later a running column on zoological facts. Margarete and her husband Prof. William Earnshaw and their two children, Charles Lutz Heck Earnshaw (born in 1991) and Irina Katharine Heck Earnshaw) born 1993 immigrated to Scotland in 1996, and Heinz joined them. Both parents run active biomedical research laboratories in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. Georg is an account executive with R. & L Carners living in West Henrietta, N. Y., with his wife Kim, daughter, Julia Lynee Heck (born in 1994) and son Samuel Patrick Heck (born in 2000) Heinz enjoyed retired life in Scotland, especially spending time with Charles and Irina and their friends and reveling tin the European nature and wildlife once again.
Heinz died peacefully at this cottage next to his daughter’s house in Peebles, Scotland, March 3, 20002. He is survived by his brother Lutz, living in Sibylle and their two children in Germany, and his children, Margarete and George and their families.
Heinz will be laid to rest in the Catskill Rural Cemetery next to his wife Irina. The service will take place Aug 3, at 3 p.m.
Catskill—For many decades the Heck name was synonymous with the zoos of Berlin and Munchen in Germany and Upstate New York.
Professor De. Ludwig Heck became the director of Berlin Zoological Gardens in 1888, and rapidly built this collection until by 1914 it was the largest of its kind in the world in terms of animal collection.
Like all German zoos, the severe financial problems occasioned by the inflationary pressures of World War II greatly reduced the collection, but allowed the exhibits to come through the war intact. Ludwig’s son Lutz became his principal assistant and by the 1930’s succeeded his father as director.
Just prior to the great war, a small zoo had been created in the suburbs of Munchen and it too saw severe problems and closed. Ludwig’s other son Heinz who had briefly worked for the Hagenbeck family in Hamburg viewed the Munchen site as possibility for a new kind of zoo, one designed along geographic lines, and saw to the creation of Tierpark Hellabrunn. Back in Berlin, Lutz who had married Heiga von Deines, had a daughter, Katrin (born in 1922 and died in 1943), and two sons, Lutz (born in 1924) and Heinz (23 September 1927). Both boys had the whole of the Berlin Zoo as a playground and they grew up often helped the keepers, and not surprisingly, became zoologist like their father, Lutz and Onkel Heinz in Munchen. Both the Berlin Zoo and Tierpark Hellabrunn became major attractions and animals were traded between the two zoos. But along came World War II, and both zoos suffered major damage. Tierpark Hellabrunn had acquired in 1936 and 1938 four of the new species of great ape, the Bonobo and one of the females was in fact pregnant when the remaining three died in an air raid on Tierpark Hellabrunn in 1944, which destroyed most of the Zoo. The Berlin Zoo in the center of the city suffered severely no doubt due its location.
As the war was coming to a close the family moved to Wiesbaden and young Heinz moved to his Onkel Heinz’s place in Munchen. Tierpark Hellabrunn like most German zoos began to rebuild and Heinz was employed at the zoo. He attended the University at Muchen where he received his Doctor rerum naturalism magna cum laude in 1951. He married Inna Dolgoff (born in 1928 in Ruga, Latvia ) in 1952.
About this time Roland Lindermann (also a former Berliner) was expanding his Catskill Game Farm in New York State into a major collection of ungulate mammals. One of the species he was most interested in was the Mongolian wild horse, and Tierpark Hellabrunn was the home of the one of the best herds in the world. The species was fast disappearing from its wild home, and Roland wanted very much to bring it to Catskill to build up a new group. He was successful in being able to acquire a number of Prezewalski horses for his zoo and was able to persuade Dr. Heinz Heck and his wife to accompany the horse to the U. S. in 1956 and perhaps become his curator, which Heinz did when he immigrated to the U. S. in 1959.
Daughter Margarete Heck was born in Munchen in 1959, and when only six weeks old moved with her parents to Catskill. A son, Georg was born in Albany in 1966 Heinz became a regular attendee of various zoo conferences in America. Heinz was submitting notes to Der Zoolgische Garten on species being bred in Catskill, such as the hatching of king vultures, a very rare event. In 1968 he was the author of the book Der Bison published in Germany. The Catskill Game Farm by this time held probably the premiere collection of rare ungulates, especially equines, deer and antelopes. Heinz Heck spent his 32 years at the Catskill Game Farm as their zoological director. Irina Heck passed away in 1980. Margarete was awarded her B. A. in Biology from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1981, and her Ph. D. in Cell Biology from Johns Hopkins University in 1988. Georg received his B. A. in Zoology from SUNY Oswego in 1988. Heinz retired from the Catskill Game Farm in 1991 at the age of 63.
Upon his retirement, Heinz moved to Parkton, Md., to live with his daughter Margarete. He often submitted articles for “The Zooculturist,” a journal published by the International Society of Zooculturist, a group interested to promoter the exchange of knowledge, experience and information between the private and public sectors, for the preservation and propagation of captive wildlife. His papers told of his boyhood in the Berlin Zoo, a trip by his grandfather at the turn of the century to the collect ion of Baron Falz-Fe3in at Askania-Nova in the Ukraine, histories of the Quaggo and Aurochs (now extinct wild ancestral species of zebras and cattle, respectively), and later a running column on zoological facts. Margarete and her husband Prof. William Earnshaw and their two children, Charles Lutz Heck Earnshaw (born in 1991) and Irina Katharine Heck Earnshaw) born 1993 immigrated to Scotland in 1996, and Heinz joined them. Both parents run active biomedical research laboratories in the Wellcome Trust Centre for Cell Biology at the University of Edinburgh. Georg is an account executive with R. & L Carners living in West Henrietta, N. Y., with his wife Kim, daughter, Julia Lynee Heck (born in 1994) and son Samuel Patrick Heck (born in 2000) Heinz enjoyed retired life in Scotland, especially spending time with Charles and Irina and their friends and reveling tin the European nature and wildlife once again.
Heinz died peacefully at this cottage next to his daughter’s house in Peebles, Scotland, March 3, 20002. He is survived by his brother Lutz, living in Sibylle and their two children in Germany, and his children, Margarete and George and their families.
Heinz will be laid to rest in the Catskill Rural Cemetery next to his wife Irina. The service will take place Aug 3, at 3 p.m.
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