History of the Volz Award
The Bernese zoologist Dr Walter Volz, collected fauna samples during his several trips from Africa and Asia to the Pacific region between the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. As a result of his research, he published about the fish of Sumatra (1903), about the ostracods of "India, Sumatra, and Java as well as the Hawaiian Islands" (1906), and about the "ostracodes of Sumatra, Java, Siam, Sandwich Islands, and Japan" (1906). Walter Volz died on April 7, 1907, in Africa. Shortly before, in his will, he bequeathed 2,000 francs to the canton of Bern for the benefit of the Zoological Institute, to which he attached the following obligation:
"The interest of two years is to be used as a price for the best publication at the institute, primarily on Swiss fauna."
The Government Council of the Canton of Bern accepted this legacy at its meeting on June 3, 1908, in Government Council Minutes No. 2772. As a result, the prize has been advertised regularly, and the Zoological Institute professors selected the best candidates based on suggestions or self-applications.
Volz’s legacy contained a few curious provisions, which have been modified since. For example, the prize no longer corresponds to the interest of two years but was increased to CHF 1000 (2x 500 CHF each for the best MSc/PhD thesis). Originally, “German pharmacists, dentists, and veterinarians” were explicitly excluded from the award ceremony. Presumably, Dr. Volz had had bad experiences with these professional groups. However, it is unknown whether there were ever any applications from these professions. The award-winning article was initially intended to be published in the Revue Suisse de Zoologie. However, since this journal has lost its status as an outstanding zoological publication over the decades, the selection jury now pays particular attention to ensuring that the work to be honored has been “well” published, with no restriction on the specific journal. The jury no longer consists of the full professors of botany, geology, and zoology (initially three professors) but of the board of directors of the Institute for Ecology and Evolution (7 professors). The award ceremony has been held publicly for several years, and the award winners present their work in a lecture.
In Spring 2024, the next Award Ceremony will be held as part of a newly established IEE Symposium.
