Education
He graduated from the medical school of University of Dorpat in Dorpat Estonia, and was first posted as a physician by the Russian legation to Tehran (1862-1865).
He graduated from the medical school of University of Dorpat in Dorpat Estonia, and was first posted as a physician by the Russian legation to Tehran (1862-1865).
He operated in the Russian Empire. From 1866 to 1883 he was posted as physician by the Russian legation to Pekin. In 1866 the publication of book titled "Cathay and the Way Thither" by orientalist Henry Yule stirred up Bretschneider"s interest in sinology.
However, he felt that the extensive material contained in Chinese books was under-utilized by western sinologists because many of them did not read Chinese, and when they quoted Chinese material, they relied on second hand sources.
In 1870 he published his first article in sinology: "Fu Sang-- Who discovered America ?", followed by the publication in London of "On the Knowledge Possessed by the Chinese of the Arabs and Arabian Colonies Mentioned in Chinese Books". In 1875 he published the article "Notes on Chinese medieval travellers to the West" in Shanghai.
Bretschneider was a pioneer in this field Bretschneider was less known as a botanist, having his own herbarium in the mountains close to Pekin.
Starting in 1880, Bretschneider sent dried plant specimens to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Among the books he published in the field of botany are: "On the Study and Value of Chinese Botanical " (1870). "Early European Researches into the Flora of China" (1881). "Botanicum Sinicum" (1882).
And his vast "History of European Botanical Studies in China" (1898).
The plant species Bretschneidera sinensis was named in Bretschneider"s honor.
He was a correspondent member of the Académie française.