One hundred years after the birth of Anton Dohrn, Theodor Heuss, first president of the Federal Republic of Germany and a friend of the Dohrn family compiled a biography of Dohrn. In it, not only does he convey the family history of this great founder but combines life history with scientific and cultural history. As a result an excellent overview has been created providing a good insight into the cultural, political and scientific life in both Germany and Italy at the turn of the century.