Johannes Walther
Johannes Walther (July 20, 1860 in Neustadt an der Orla, Germany – May 4, 1937 in Bad Hofgastein, Germany) was a German geologist who discovered important principles of stratigraphy, including Walther's Law. Early life and work. Walther came from a religious home and studied botany, zoology, and philosophy at the University of Jena. In 1882 he successfully completed this course with a doctorate. Then he studied geology and palaeontology in Leipzig and later Munich. The following year he worked at the Stazione Zoologica in Naples as a lecturer, staying for two years. Among other things, he ran extensive  sedimentological and biological studies. In 1885 he returned to Jena and habilitated there in 1886 with a thesis on crinoids. After travelling, he was appointed as a professor at Jena in 1890. Later life. Walther moved to the University of Halle in 1906, staying until 1929. Whilst there, he was in 1924 elected president of the prestigious German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, an office he held until 1931.