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From Ernst Haeckel1   30 August 1879

Perth

30 Aug 79

Hochverehrter theurer Freund!

Für Ihre gütige Einladung, Sie in Down zu besuchen, sage ich Ihnen meinen herzlichen Dank.2 Ich würde dieselbe sehr gern annehmen und es würde mir die grösste Freude sein, einige Stunden mit Ihnen zu plaudern und Ihnen vom “Darwinism in Germany” zu erzählen. Ich bin 14 Tage in North-Schottland (meistens in Scourie) gewesen und gehe übermorgen nach Edinburgh zurück.3 Mittwoch (3. Sept.) reise ich nach London und bleibe dort 4–5 Tage. Wenn Sie von Ihrer Reise zurückgekehrt sind und vielleicht Sonntag, 7. Sept. (oder eventuell Montag, 8. Sept.) zu Hause sind, so würde ich sehr gern auf einige Stunden nach Down kommen.

Ich bitte um Antwort nach London unter der Adresse von Professor Günther, Zoological Department, British Museum.4

Mit freundlichsten Grüssen Ihr treu ergebener | Ernst Haeckel

CD annotations

Top of letter: ‘[Tuesday!]’5 blue crayon
1
For a translation of this letter, see Appendix I.
2
In his letter of 15 July 1879, CD had invited Haeckel to Down in early September 1879, having heard of Haeckel’s tentative plans to pass through London on his way back from Edinburgh in late August; see letter from Ernst Haeckel, 12 July 1879.
3
For Haeckel’s 1879 travel itinerary, which included the Dutch coast near Scheveningen and Rotterdam, the east coast of Scotland (St Andrews and Inverness), the west coast of Sutherland (Scourie and Handa), and the south coast of England (Portobello and Brighton), see Haeckel 1879–81, 1 (part 1): xvi.
4
Albert Günther was keeper of the zoological department at the British Museum.
5
Probably a reference to the day this letter (written on Saturday) arrived at Down from Perth, Scotland; CD replied on Tuesday 2 September.

From Ernst Haeckel1   30 August 1879

Perth

30 Aug 79

Esteemed, dear friend!

For your gracious invitation to visit you at Down I thank you cordially.2 I would very much like to accept and it would be the greatest joy for me to chat with you for a few hours and to tell you about “Darwinism in Germany”. I have spent 14 days in North Scotland (mostly in Scourie) and go back to Edinburgh the day after tomorrow.3 On Wednesday (3 Sept) I travel to London, and stay there for 4–5 days. If you have returned from your trip and are at home, perhaps on Sunday 7 Sept. (or possibly on Monday 8 Sept), I should very much like to come to Down for a few hours.

Please reply to London at the address of Professor Günther, Zoological Department, British Museum.4

With best wishes | Yours | truly devoted | Ernst Haeckel

1
For a transcription of this letter in its original German, see p. 377.
2
In his letter of 15 July 1879, CD had invited Haeckel to Down in early September 1879, having heard of Haeckel’s tentative plans to pass through London on his way back from Edinburgh in late August; see letter from Ernst Haeckel, 12 July 1879.
3
For Haeckel’s 1879 travel itinerary, which included the Dutch coast near Scheveningen and Rotterdam, the east coast of Scotland (St Andrews and Inverness), the west coast of Sutherland (Scourie and Handa), and the south coast of England (Portobello and Brighton), see Haeckel 1879–81, 1 (part 1): xvi.
4
Albert Günther was keeper of the zoological department at the British Museum.

Please cite as “DCP-LETT-12205,” in Ɛpsilon: The Charles Darwin Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/dcp-data/letters/DCP-LETT-12205