Avian Inspired
Hans Dunckner was born on May 26th, 1881 as the second of three sons and about three years before Gregor Mendel died. He was born in Ballenstedt, a small town in Northern Germany located in the eastern foothills of the Harz Mountains. Since the middle ages, people of this town had captured and sold birds for their beauty and singing ability. Dunckner grew up around the culture of bird keeping. Everywhere he went he saw wild beautiful birds in cages; in doorways, outside houses, in shops, and in cafes. His grandfather encouraged his interest in birds. He took him around to different aviaries full of native birds with wonderful combinations of color and voice. His favorite among the exotic creatures was the multicolored goldfinch, a sweet little bird with feathers a mix of crimson, gold, black, white, and beige. There is no wonder why Hans, shy and somewhat serious, turned to birds for his studies. His father was a high-ranking judge in the city. He decided that if his son wanted to study birds then he should do it right and study to be a Biologist. So off he went to the university at Gottingen; a college that was not only the best in Germany, but the closest as well. He did well, mostly in mathematics, physics, sports and singing, but he found that he hated learning languages such a French and English. Initially, he focused on botany and physics but after a year he began to study in the field of zoology.