Glaessner, Martin Fritz (1906 - 1989)

Born in Aussig in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire on the 25 December 1906, died in Adelaide on 23 November 1989.

Glaessner was born in Aussig in the former the Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Ústí nad Labem in the Czech Republic). He was a Research Associate at the Naturhistorisches Museum in Vienna from 1923 to 1932, and starting in 1925 attended the University of Vienna, where he received a doctorate in law in 1929, and a Ph.D. in geology and paleontology in 1931. He was a Research Associate the Natural History Museum in London from 1930 to 1931.[1]

In 1932 he moved to Moscow and began working in petrogeology at the State Petroleum Research Institute until 1934. From 1934 to 1937 he worked as a Senior Research Officer at the Institute of Mineral Fuels of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and was also a part-time lecturer at the University of Moscow's Moscow Petroleum Institute and Palaeontological Institute in 1936. Glaessner married Tina Tupikina in 1936, and moved back to Vienna in December late 1937. Of Jewish descent on his father's side, he was arrested on 19 March 1938 but released to work at the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (now British Petroleum) in London.

Later in 1938 he moved to Port Moresby, PNG (then under Australian control), where he worked for joint oil exploration companies until 1950.

He held various positions at the University of Adelaide from 1950 to 1989, including chair of Geology and Palaeontology in 1964.

He was an associate at the South Australian Museum from 1953 to 1989. Glaessner disposed of his micropalaeontological library on his retirement. His remaining research and scholarly library was bequeathed to the South Australian Museum.

Elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 1957, he served on the Council, 1960-62, and was Chairman of the National Committee of Geological Sciences, 1962-1977.

Source: Extracted from: http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/aasmemoirs/glaessne.htm#martin ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Glaessner viewed 15.12.2014
Portrait Photo: Extracted from: http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/aasmemoirs/glaessne.htm#martin