Re: [Killietalk] Killietalk Digest, More good, old books

[Scott Davis <unclescott at prodigy_net>]

Thank you for putting Jocher in perspective Bobby. That makes a lot more sense than my speculation.

Richter certainly took some wonderful photos and his images of spawning fish are wonderful. As with so many of us, I wonder how much of his knowledge was from local aquarium clubs. I hope we never forget to thank those who have given us so much.

I'm sure you remember Harro's observations via other club people of how Richter stood and aside from other aquarists at a gathering. The other aquarists were also rather edgy about who Richter's obviously non-aquarist friend might be. And I remember wondering how does an ordinary aquarist get those great cameras.

As HH mentioned, when Germany re-united, it became public information that Richter has been employed by the secret police. He sold off his images to Axelrod and quietly retired to some Mediterranean island.

I suppose that we should honor great aquarists regardless of their politics. But that was disappointing. 


ROBERT ELLERMANN <ruevenm at sbcglobal_net> wrote: Hi Scott,
   
       I agree that Willy Jocher reads as an amazing aquarist but for me his books published in Germany in the late 60's and by TFH in the early 70's are more an example of what all old school serious breeders did. Herbie's Breeding Aquarium Fishes books were not so much inspired by Jocher but were based on articles by two men from the same school of thought as Jocher -- Richter of East Germany and the the Chech aquarist and shop owner Zukal. The Breeding series of TFH was made up of many reprints from the magazine of Zukal and Richter articles, plus pieces by other people. The whole series of small books by German authors that TFH brought out in the early 70's and that Jocher's books were a part of was based on a series put out in Germany in the late 60's (talk about advanced!). The original publisher is listed in the TFH editions. I get the impression that Jocher was East German. The East germans were always considered particularly fine aquarists. Wasn't that the region
 of Germany where Neons were first bred because it had more areas of soft acid water? If you read Aquarium Journal in the 50's and saw Walter Berthodt's wonderful articles you would have seen Jocher's philosophy there. I think it was just the wisdom of the day that we lost during the African cichlid craze and have since rediscovered.
   
  Bobby
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