THE REMARKABLE P. F. B. VON SIEBOLD, HIS LIFE IN EUROPE AND JAPAN

Summary We present a synopsis of the major trends of S iebold's life, his youth in the R hineland and his lengthy employment as a physician and natural scientist in the colonial government of the D utch E ast I ndies. We follow his career on the cramped J apanese island of D ejima where he was based for 6 years. We reveal how, during two visits to J apan, S iebold became a renowned ethnographer, natural historian, author and entrepreneur and an unsuccessful diplomat. In this paper we attempt to provide an insight into S iebold's varied life in B avaria, T he N etherlands and J apan.