Karl Theodor Menke

Karl Theodor Menke (13 September 1791 – 1861) was a German malacologist and balneologist who was a native of Bremen. He is remembered for his research on snails.

Menke studied medicine at the University of Göttingen (with Promotion in 1814), and worked as a physician at the spa in Bad Pyrmont. In 1831 he was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences Leopoldina. In 1844 he founded the journal Zeitschrift für Malakozoologie (from 1854 titled Malakozoologische Blätter). With Ludwig Karl Georg Pfeiffer (1805—1877), he was editor of the magazine.

During his lifetime, Menke amassed a large collection of snail shells, which were purchased by dealer M.J. Landauer of Frankfurt after his death.

The sea snail species; Cerithium menkei and Natica menkeana are named in honor of Menke. Also in 1843, Menkea a genus of flowering plants from Australia, belonging to the family Brassicaceae was published and named in his honour.