Matthias Joseph Anker (6 May 1771 – 3 April 1843) was an Austrian mineralogist and geologist born in Graz. Some sources place his birthdate as 1 May 1772.[1]
He received his education in Vienna, afterwards working as a surgeon in the town of Stainz. In 1807, he was called to Graz as a district surgeon, from where he intensified his scientific studies in mineralogy.[1] Four years later, he joined the staff of mineralogistFriedrich Mohs at the Johanneum in Graz, where he eventually became a professor of mineralogy as well as curator of the mineral cabinet.[2] In 1839, he resigned from his teaching position, but stayed on as director of collections.[3]
In 1828/29, he supervised the creation of a catalog involving the mineral cabinet at the Johanneum, where in 1833 he reorganized the collection according to the Mohs system.[3] Also, he is credited for providing the first geological map of Styria (1835).[1]
Kurze Darstellung einer Mineralogie von Steiermark (Outline of mineralogy in Styria), 1809
Kurze Darstellung der mineralogisch-geognostischen Gebirgs-Verhältnisse der Steiermark (Outline of mineralogical-geognostic mountain conditions in Styria), 1835.[4]
