Johann Christian Ludwig Hellwig

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Johann Christian Ludwig Hellwig (November 8, 1743, Garz, Rügen - October 10, 1831) was a German entomologist.

After studies of mathematics and natural history at the university of Frankfurt, he became, in 1766, adviser to prince Wilhelm Adolf von Braunschweig at the time of his voyage in the south of Russia.

In 1771, he taught in two colleges of Brunswick then he became professor of philosophy of the university of Helmstadt. In 1790, he taught mathematics and natural science at the military academy of Braunschweig.

He exerted a great influence on his pupils.^{[citation needed]} He was the tutor and the father-in-law of the German entomologist Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (1775-1813), who became director of the zoological garden of Berlin, of the mineralogist Gottlieb Peter Sillem (who succeeded him at the school of Braunschweig) and the count Johann Centurius Hoffmannsegg (1766-1849).

His work in the taxonomy of the insects in collaboration with Illiger and Hoffmannsegg is famous and was the entomological origin of the collections of the University of Berlin.

He was also the inventor of "Kriegsspiel" (literally war game), an alternative to chess which had much success in its time.