Johann Dzierzon, or
Jan Dzierżon [ˈjan ˈd͡ʑɛrʐɔn] or
Dzierżoń [ˈd͡ʑɛrʐɔɲ], also
John Dzierzon (16 January 1811 – 26 October 1906), was a pioneering
apiarist who discovered the phenomenon of
parthenogenesis in
bees and designed the first successful movable-frame
beehive.
Dzierzon came from a
Polish family in
Silesia. Trained in theology, he combined his theoretical and practical work in apiculture with his duties as a
Roman Catholic priest, before being compulsorily retired by the Church and eventually excommunicated.
His discoveries and innovations made him world-famous in scientific and bee-keeping circles, and he has been described as the "father of modern apiculture".