Maria Sibylla Merian
Maria Sibylla Merian (2 April 164713 January 1717) was a German-born naturalist and scientific illustrator, a descendant of the Frankfurt branch of the Swiss Merian family. Merian was one of the first naturalists to observe insects directly.
Michiel van Breda
Van Breda was born on 12 August 1775 in Cape Town. His parents were Pieter van Breda and Catharina Sophia Myburg. He married three times. Out of his marriages with Gesina van Reenen, Beatrix Elizabeth Lategan and Maria Adriana Smalberger he became the father of nine children. He died in Cape Town on 12 August 1847.
In 1817 van Breda was farming on Zoetendals Vallei farm in the region which is today called Overberg. He imported the Rambouillet Merino from France. Together with the Merino’s from Saxony in Germany, which he also imported, he created the South African Merino. He was the first person to start breeding with Merinos in South Africa. His partner was F.W.Reitz. A Merino is a sheep primarily breed for its wool. It is orgninally from Spain. The first Merinos date back to the 12th century. The sheep is particularly well adapted to low rainfall environments climates.