Richard was born in Suhl, in the state of Thuringen, Germany on 26 August 1867.

His father, Karl Brandenburger, came from a family of tradesmen and was the manager of a small local gasworks. His mother, Marie Oberlander, was the daughter of a carpenter from Dahme in der Mark.

The family moved from town to town as Karl’s career progressed. It also grew. Richard gained five brothers (Karl, Franz, Willi, Walter and Hans), but misfortune struck. In Warsaw, three brothers (Karl, Franz and Walter) , died of scarlet fever within a fortnight of each other. When Richard was about 12 (around 1879), the family moved to Kronstadt outside St Petersburg. Here he gained three sisters (Grete, Ella, and Frieda), and a brother (Erich).

Richard was already a student of natural sciences when the last siblings were born. But tragedy struck the family again. Karl died suddenly and Richard got his father’s old job at the gasworks to support the family. This was the start of his career – nature remained his passion and he finished his degree later.

Then, he met the Estonian Governess Meta Ross and they married in 1898. They had three children – Leo, Edith and Paul.

Due to growing civil unrest in Kronstadt, the family moved to Larvik where he got the position of director at the local gasworks (Larvik Gasverk). Although Norway was neutral in WW1, it is understood Richard had to resign his role because the gasworks received coal from England and the English would not supply coal to a German. He then moved the family to Germany where he died in 1949.

Key dates

Born: 26 August 1867, Suhl, Thuringen, Germany

Married: 24 February 1898, Kronstadt, Russia, to Meta Johanna Caroline Ross

Died: 23 February 1949, Falkensee, Germany