Alexander Mörk von Mörkenstein

Alexander Mörk von Mörkenstein (born December 4, 1887 in Przemyśl , † October 23, 1914 in Nisko (Galicia)) was an Austrian painter and speleologist.

Life

Mörk von Mörkenstein was born in the garrison town of Przemysl into an officer's family. He attended the kk Staats-Gymnasium in Salzburg , where he passed the high school diploma in 1907 . After that he graduated from 1907 the one-year volunteer school with the 4th regiment of the " Tyrolean Kaiserjäger " and in 1908 passed the examination to become a reserve officer. After completing his military training, he moved to Munich and began his studies in the painting and drawing school of Walter Thor in 1908, and from 1909 he continued his studies at the general painting school of the Vienna Academy . After three years of study, he was recognized as an academic painter. In 1912/13 Mörk began further education in the special school with Alois Delug . After the general mobilization, Mörk moved into the kuk infantry regiment "Archduke Rainer" No. 59 in Salzburg. Mörk was seriously wounded on October 22, 1914 in an assault on the San bank and died on October 23 at the first aid station.

Caving

A main field of his interests was caving. Along with Georg Lahner and Rudolf Saar, Mörk was one of the leading participants in the first large expedition on the Dachstein , led by Hermann Bock . On August 10, 1911, Mörk and his comrades founded the "Salzburg Section" of the Association for Speleology in Austria. A first exploration of the giant ice world had to be canceled due to lack of material, on August 2, 1913 a better equipped expedition began and the group conquered the ice wall, which had not been conquered until then. On his last, third trip, Mörk was able to advance to the beginning of the "Mörk Glacier" and later to the giant dome named after him.

Mörk's urn was buried on June 28, 1925 in the so-called "Mörk-Dom" in fulfillment of his will.

Works (selection)

• Speleology in Salzburg Salzburger Volksblatt, October 27, 1910
• Cave discovery on Untersberg Salzburger Volksblatt, 1912
• A cave bear nest on Untersberg Salzburger Volksblatt, July 27, 1913, p. 43
• The venice man. A fairy tale from Untersberg Salzburger Volkszeitung from 22. – 25. January 1912 in sequels

literature

• G. Abel:  Mörk von Mörkenstein Alexander. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 6, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1975, ISBN 3-7001-0128-7 , p. 339 f. (Direct links on p. 339 , p. 340 ).
• Heidemarie Ultschnig: Alexander Mörk von Mörkenstein 1887 - 1914 (=  scientific supplements to the magazine "Die Höhle" . No. 57 ). Edition Tandem, Salzburg, Vienna 2011, ISBN 978-3-902606-70-9 , pp. 160 .