From Siberian Prisoner to Dinosaur Egg Detective: The Epic Odyssey of Karl Hirsch

The inspiring story of the man who doggedly sought the secrets hidden within dinosaur eggs.

From Siberian Prisoner to Dinosaur Egg Detective explores the fascinating story of Karl Franz Hirsch (1921-1996). After serving in the German army in WWII, being wounded and captured by the Soviets in Danzig and then sent to a prisoner of war camp in Siberia, Hirsch went on to become one of the world’s leading experts on fossil eggs. After starting a new life in Colorado, Hirsch became an avid fossil hunter and one day discovered by accident a dinosaur egg. Armed with curiosity and a microscope, he began to study it. In 1979, at the age of 58, Hirsch published his first scientific paper on fossil eggs.

Hirsch went on to write dozens of influential technical papers and collaborate with professional paleontologists at the University of Colorado Boulder and elsewhere. At his death, his immense research collection consisted of 35,000 photographs, 20,000 pages of notes, and 3000 fossil egg specimens.

From Siberian Prisoner to Dinosaur Egg Detective presents Hirsch’s inspiring life story, demonstrating how brilliance and determination are key ingredients in the advancement of scientific understanding.

Martin Lockley is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences and former director of the Dinosaur Tracks Museum at the University of Colorado Denver and is Associate Curator at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History. He is the coauthor (with Ryo Morimoto) of How Humanity Came into Being: The Evolution of Consciousness and Dinosaur Tracks and Other Fossil Footprints of Europe.
Bernie Spilka is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Psychology at the University of Denver. He is the coauthor (with Ralph W. Hood and Peter C. Hill) of The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach, fifth edition.