Theodor Thon

Theodor Thon (14 May 1792 – 17 November 1838) was a German naturalist, engraver, and inventor of a shorthand writing system.

He taught a wide range of subjects at the University of Jena including some of the first academic lectures in stenography.

He worked as a docent and in 1813 he moved to Eisenach becoming a registrar of the Grand Duchal State in 1816.

He published works on a wide range of topics including cooking, illustration, specimen collecting, stenography, economics, and home decoration.

One of his sons Sixtus Armin Thon became a director of a drawing school in Weimar while another, Guido became a physician in Queensland, Australia.