Eduard Vogel

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Africa explorer Eduard Vogel in an oriental costume

Eduard Ludwig Vogel (born March 7, 1829 in Krefeld , † early February 1856 near Wara , Chad ) was a German astronomer and Africa explorer . He was probably murdered on the orders of the Sultan of Wadai .

Life

Vogel, a son of Carl Vogel and brother of the writer Elise Polko and the astronomer Hermann Carl Vogel , studied at the Thomas School in Leipzig and since 1848 studied astronomy , mathematics and natural sciences at the University of Leipzig and the Friedrich-Wilhelms-University in Berlin . In 1851 he became assistant to the astronomer John Russel Hind at the Bishop's observatory ( George Bishop's Observatory ) in London . Here, in 1853, on the advice of the geographer and cartographer August Petermann, the British government proposed to join an expedition as an astronomer instead of the late Adolf Overweg , which took place in 1849 under the direction of the British missionary and abolitionist James Richardson and with the participation of the Germans Heinrich Barth and Adolf Overweg had been sent to Central Africa.

Arriving at Lake Chad in January 1854 , Vogel determined the location and the height of the great desert, penetrated to Musgu up to 9 degrees north latitude and explored the countries west of Chad. In December 1854 he met Barth near Zinder and then penetrated as far as Jakoba , which no European had entered before him.

He tried to penetrate the highlands of Adamaua , but had to turn back on the banks of the Binue from hostile native tribes and turned to Wadai in December 1855 . Initially well received, he was killed near Abeschr ( Abéché ), south of Ouara, presumably on the orders of the Sultan .

Years of uncertainty about his fate caused a series of aid expeditions to his rescue: Richard Freiherr von Neimans , Charles Cuny , Karl Moritz von Beurmann and Theodor von Heuglin . The geographer August Petermann even set up a foundation which, as a “German national enterprise”, was supposed to help clarify the fate of the missing person. At times Vogel was better known in public than Heinrich Barth. The circumstances that led to Vogel's murder could only be explained to some extent by Gustav Nachtigal in 1873.

Vogel published letters and reports in geographical specialist publications, namely in " Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen ".

Honors

In 1854 he was elected a member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina .

In 1886 a memorial plaque was placed on the house where he was born.

Fonts

  • Eduard Vogel: Journey in Central Africa: Ed. Vogel's journey in Central Africa: a description of his research and experiences based on the papers left by the traveler. Berlin 1863.
  • Hermann Wagner (ed.): Descriptions of the travels and discoveries of Dr. Eduard Vogel in Central Africa, in the great desert, in the countries of Sudan (on Lake Tsad, in Mußgo, Tubort, Mandara, Sinder, Bautschi, etc.) along with a sketch of the life of the traveler. Leipzig 1860.

literature

  • Louis du Rieux , The Traveler Dr. Eduard Vogel and our time: In: Mitheilungen aus der Werkstätte der Natur , Volume 1, Issue 2, Frankfurt am Main 1858, pp. 92–96 (digitized version )
  • "G. Hth. “: Eduard Vogel and the attempts to illuminate his fate. In: Die Gartenlaube , 1863, p. 411 f. ( E-text )
  • Martin Müller: Lost in Africa: Eduard Vogel and Moritz v. Beurmann. Leipzig 1952 (2nd edition 1953).
  • Adolf Pahde: The Africa researcher Eduard Vogel. Hamburg 1889 (first Krefeld 1886).
  • August Petermann: Theodor v. Heuglin's expedition to Inner Africa, to illuminate the fate of Dr. Eduard Vogel's and to complete his research work. Gotha 1860.
  • Elise Polko: Memories of a missing person. Notes and letters from and about Eduard Vogel. Collected by his sister Elise Polko. Weber, Leipzig 1863.
  • Friedrich Ratzel:  Vogel, Eduard . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 40, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, pp. 100-108.

Web links

Commons : Eduard Vogel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Richard Sachse, Karl Ramshorn, Reinhart Herz: The teachers of the Thomasschule in Leipzig 1832-1912. The high school graduates of the Thomas School in Leipzig 1845–1912 . BG Teubner Verlag, Leipzig 1912, p. 20.
  2. ↑ Member entry of Eduard Vogel at the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina , accessed on June 18, 2016.
  3. ↑ Misc. (Memorial plaque.). In:  Wiener Zeitung , July 4, 1886, p. 22 (online at ANNO ). A memorial plaque for the Africa traveler Eduard Vogel was recently unveiled in Crefeld at the house where he was born. It shows the following inscription in golden letters on a black marble background: “Birthplace of the Africa researcher Eduard Vogel, geb. March 7, 1829, Wadai fell as a victim of science in 1856. "Template: ANNO / Maintenance / wrz
personal data
SURNAME Vogel, Eduard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Vogel, Eduard Ludwig (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Africa explorer
DATE OF BIRTH March 7, 1829
PLACE OF BIRTH Krefeld
DATE OF DEATH around February 1856
Place of death near Wara , Chad