German-born botanist, author and anthroposophist. Meebold was a prolific traveller who saw many continents and countries, collecting plants in India, Southern Africa, Polynesia and the Antipodes as well as his native Europe. Born in Heidenheim an der Brenz, he was expected to take over the family business, the Würtembergische Cattun-Manufaktur, a textile factory. However, his health did not suit him to the task and he instead decided on a career in literature and science.
Meebold began publishing novels and books of short stories in the 1890s and around the same time, influenced by the family physician, developed esoteric interests. He joined the Theosophy Society of London while in his thirties and after meeting Rudolf Steiner in 1904 became a close follower of the Steiner philosophy, anthroposophy. He first travelled to India in the same year, where he reported having a psychic experience which strengthened his belief in anthroposophy. He founded a branch of the movement in Heidenheim in 1910, which was inaugurated in 1911 in the presence of Steiner. Meebold became an ambassador of the movement thereafter, founding similar branches in cities from London to Honolulu, and following Steiner on lecture tours around the world.
In the decade 1928-1938 Meebold spent much time in Budapest, Hungary, where he taught at the Waldorf School. He then decided to emigrate to New Zealand, but on his way to there was detained in Hawaii because of the outbreak of World War II. He remained in Honolulu until after the end of the war, lecturing in anthroposophy. He remained in New Zealand for the remainder of his days, dying at Havelcok North in 1952.
As well as his interest in anthroposophy, Meebold was a recognised (self-taught) botanist and collected plant specimens in most of the places he visited. He collected in India and Burma (Myanmar) from 1904-1912, New Zealand and Australia in 1928-1929, Oahu in 1929, Oahu, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand and Australia in 1932, South Africa in 1933, and in Oahu, Hawaii and Maui in 1935. He also made collections in central and western Europe, particularly in Germany, southern France, Switzerland, Carinthia, the Tirol and Julian Alps (1891-1922 and 1922), Italy, Sicily, Corsica, England and Scandinavia. He was in the U.S. in 1929, 1932, 1935 and 1937. Meebold sent his original specimens to the University of Munich (M). The genus Meeboldina Suess. is named after him, as are the species Acacia meeboldii Craib, Darwinia meeboldii C.A.Gardner and Geranium meeboldii Brig. Meebold donated his collection of artefacts from India to the folk museum at Hellenstein Castle in his hometown of Heidenheim.
Sources:
J.H. Barnhart, 1965, Biographical Notes Upon Botanists, 2 : 470
M. Zadow, "Alfred Meebold", Forschungsstelle Kulturimpuls Biographien Dokumentation:
http://biographien.kulturimpuls.org/detail.php?&id=458, accessed 25 August 2010.
