Michael Christoph Hanow (also Hanov, Hanovius) (12 December 1695, in Zamborst near Neustettin, Pomerania – 22 September 1773, in Danzig) was a German meteorologist, historian, professor of mathematics and since 1717 rector of the Academic Gymnasium Danzig.
Hanow was educated in Danzig and Leipzig and was a private teacher in Dresden, Leipzig and Danzig. In the year 1727 he became a member of the Academic Gymnasium Danzig. He wrote numerous articles and books. Since 1739 he published the Danziger Nachrichten a weekly journal with weather forecasting. The term biology was introduced by him. In the years 1745 until 1767 he wrote Jus Culmense, the complete Kulm law (Kulmer Recht) and a collection of not yet published Prussian documents.
Together with Georg Daniel Seyler, Gottfried Lengnich and David Braun he belonged to the most important local historians in the 18th century.
Literature
Michael Christoph Hanow: Philosophiae naturalis sive physicae dogmaticae: Geologia, biologia, phytologia generalis et dendrologia. 1766. Carl von Prantl, Works of Hanov, Michael Christoph. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). volume 10, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1879, page 524 f.