Germar was born in
Glauchau in the Electorate of Saxony where his father was a merchant. His two older and a younger brother went to study trade but Ernst went to a grammar school in
Meiningen at the age of twelve under the care of Schaubach, a relative of his father. He became interested in insects thanks to a friend who had attended forestry classes at Dreissigacker under
Johann Matthäus Bechstein. He also got to know the entomologist
Joseph Philippe de Clairville who lived in Meiningen. In 1804 he went to study at the mining academy (Bergakademie) at Freiburg where he was influenced by
Abraham Gottlob Werner. After his mining education, he went to Leipzig in 1807 to study law and also attended lectures in natural sciences. He also began to purchase insect specimens including those of Fabricius from Hubner in Halle at a great cost of 400 thalers. He also met
Gustav Kunze and
Curt Sprengel. He studied under Sprengel and wrote a thesis
Dissertatio sistens bombycum spesies, secundum oris partium diversitatem in nova genera distributas in 1810 for his doctorate. In 1811 he travelled to Dalmatia making collections and in 1812 he defended a second doctorate and joined as a director for the mineral cabinet at Halle. 1817 he visited the museum in Vienna where he met
Megerle von Mühlfeld. He was appointed as an extraordinary to the university and was involved in teaching entomology and paleontology. In 1819 he published a textbook of mineralogy. He was appointed rector in 1834-35 and received an honorary degree in medicine and in 1844 he was titled Hofrat. Germar married Wilhelmine Keferstein (1755-1816) in 1815. Wilhemine's brother Christian and Adolf became interested in zoology and butterflies through the influence of Germar. In 1845, he was elected a foreign member of the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. A number of taxa were named in his honour including
Germaria Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830;
Germaria Laporte, 1832;
Pseudogermaria Brauer & Bergenstamm, 1891 ;
Paragermaria Townsend, 1909;
Germariella Champion, 1911;
Germariopsis Townsend, 1915;
Germariochaeta Villeneuve, 1937;
Germaropyge Snajdr, 1957;
Germarina Mesnil, 1963;
Germaraphis Heie, 1967; and
Germaria Jeanne, 1972. == Published works ==