Adolf von Koenen (Könen) was born on March 21, 1837, in Potsdam, Germany.

He was a German geologist. He received his education in Berlin, and following study trips through Belgium, England, and France, he obtained his habilitation at the University of Marburg in 1867. In 1878, he became a full professor at Marburg, then relocated to the Georg-August University of Göttingen in 1881 as a Professor of Geology (1881-1907). He was the author of numerous publications in his field of study. His name is associated with koenenite, a mineral that he discovered, and Ctenosauriscus koeneni, a sail-backed reptile from the Early Triassic.

In 1867, he married Johanna Lavinia Konopacki. He died on May 5, 1915, in Göttingen, Germany.