Ernst Haeckel published 7 non-fiction books and 6 other books, beginning with Kunstformen Der Natur (1904).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Ernst Haeckel
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Kunstformen Der Natur
Ernst Haeckel's most-read book.
Non-fiction in order
The Evolution of Man (1876)
A Visit to Ceylon (1883)
Die Welträthsel (1899)
The Wonders of Life (1901)
Kunstformen Der Natur (1904)
Last Words on Evolution (1905)
Other books in order
Anthropogenie (1874)
The Pedigree of Man (1883)
The Last Link (1898)
Die Welträthsel: Gemeinverständliche Studien Über Monistische Philosophie (1902)
History of Creation (2012)
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About Ernst Haeckel
Ernst Heinrich Philipp August Haeckel was a German zoologist, naturalist, eugenicist, philosopher, physician, professor, marine biologist and artist. He discovered, described and named thousands of new species, mapped a genealogical tree relating all life forms and coined many terms in biology, including ecology, phylum, phylogeny, ontogeny, and Protista. Haeckel promoted and popularised Charles Darwin's work in Germany and developed the disproven but influential recapitulation theory, later generalizing it into the so called "Biogenetic Law". He wrongly claimed that an individual organism's biological development, or ontogeny, parallels and summarizes its species' evolutionary development, or phylogeny, using incorrectly drawn images of human embryonic development to derive the law. Whether they were intentionally falsified, or drawn poorly by accident is a matter of debate.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Ernst Haeckel FAQ
- How many books has Ernst Haeckel written?
- Ernst Haeckel published 7 non-fiction books and 6 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Ernst Haeckel's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Kunstformen Der Natur.
- What is Ernst Haeckel's last book?
- Last Words on Evolution (1905).
- What is Ernst Haeckel's most famous book?
- Kunstformen Der Natur (1904) is Ernst Haeckel's most widely read book.
- Can I read Ernst Haeckel's books for free?
- Yes. 12 books by Ernst Haeckel are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like Ernst Haeckel
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.