Ernst Köhler (folklorist)

Ernst Koehler

Johann August Ernst Köhler (born August 5, 1829 in Budissin (today Bautzen ), † December 19, 1903 in Aue ) was a German teacher , folklorist and, in 1878, founder of the Saxon Ore Mountains Association .

Life

Ernst Köhler was born the son of a housekeeper in a commercial business. After attending the local community school and then switching to the preparatory institute, Köhler joined the Bautzen teachers' seminar at the age of 17 . Because of his outstanding achievements, he was supported by scholarships. During his training, he developed a preference for natural sciences (especially botany and mineralogy ) and local history . First employment as a private tutor in Bellwitz near Löbau and as a teacher for natural sciences and geometry at the Dr. Wäntig in Großschönaufollowed. From 1853 to 1858 he worked at the community school in his hometown of Bautzen. In 1858 he published the pictures from Upper Lusatia as a contribution to patriotic studies , which he had written as a contribution to patriotic studies .

In the same year he was appointed as a teacher for natural sciences and mathematics at the Realschule with Progymnasium in Reichenbach in the Vogtland . In the following year he founded the Vogtland Association for General and Special Natural History in Reichenbach and the surrounding area and submitted a petroglyphic thesis on the Saxon Vogtland as a dissertation to the University of Leipzig . As a result, he developed a variety of activities to actively promote tourism in the Vogtland and Ore Mountains, where he saw scientific and literary work as his main task. He collected and published folklore writings such as folk custom, superstition, sagas and other old traditions in the Vogtland and thus became the founder of modern Vogtlandkunde.

In 1873 he was appointed senior teacher at the newly founded Schneeberg teachers' seminar. On his initiative, the Erzgebirgsverein was founded in 1878 , and he was elected its first chairman. He made particular contributions to the construction of observation towers and accommodation facilities on the Ore Mountains as well as the development of hiking trails. In 1897 Köhler retired and in 1899 also resigned as chairman of the Erzgebirgsverein. However, he remained loyal to his club as honorary chairman. In 1903 Köhler died and found his final resting place in Schneeberg.

Honors

Memorial Dr. Ernst Köhler at Dr.-Köhler-Platz in Schneeberg

In recognition of his achievements, Koehler was awarded the following medals by King Albert of Saxony :

• 1888 Knight's Cross 2nd class from the Albrecht Order
• 1894 Knight's Cross 1st Class from the Albrecht Order.

In his honor, the tower on the 593 m high Gleesberg near Schneeberg- Neustädtel bears the name Köhlerturm . A hiking trail is named after Köhler between the Göltzschtalbrücke and Greiz. In front of the former Royal Saxon teachers' seminar in Schneeberg , today's Johann-Gottfried-Herder-Gymnasium , a memorial stone in honor of Dr. Koehler set up. The square in front of Köhler's former place of work was named Dr.-Köhler-Platz .

Works

His publications include:

• The Czorneboh with the Throne Mountains, the Schmoritz, the Mehlteuer and the Dehsaer Mountains. Reichel, Bautzen 1853.
• Pictures from Upper Lusatia as a contribution to patriotic studies. Reichel, Bautzen 1855 ( digitized in the Google book search).
• The history of Upper Lusatia from the oldest times up to the year 1815. Köhler, Görlitz 1867.
• Popular custom in Voigtlande. Leipzig 1867.
• Folk customs, superstitions, legends and other old traditions in Voigtland with consideration of Orlagau and Pleißnerland. Verlag von Ms. Fleischer, Leipzig 1867 (Reprint: Rockstuhl, Bad Langensalza 2008, ISBN 978-3-86777-042-2 ) ( digitized version of the 1867 edition in the Google book search).
• The history of Upper Lusatia from 1815 to the present. Koehler, Görlitz 1868.
• German folk tales in the light of geology. Leipzig 1876.
• General features of the cultural development of the Ore Mountains. 1879.
• Summer vacation in the Ore Mountains. Schneeberg 1883.
• Legend book of the Erzgebirge. Gärtner, Schneeberg and Schwarzenberg 1886 (Reprint: Olms, Hildesheim 1978, ISBN 3487066394 ).
• The Kingdom of Saxony and its princes. Hirschfeld, Leipzig 1886.
• The animals of the Ore Mountains according to the reports of the chroniclers. 1889.
• The flora and fauna of the Ore Mountains. Schneeberg 1889.
• The Meissen country and mountain chronicle of Peter Albinus, a forerunner of our country customers. In: Glückauf Vol. 12, 1892, pp. 36-39, 45-50.
• The former peddler trade in the Ore Mountains. In: Glückauf 13 (1893) 2, pp. 14-19 and Glückauf 13 (1893) 3, pp. 25-29.
• Traugott von Gersdorff's journey through the Ore Mountains 1765. Gardener, Schneeberg / Schwarzenberg 1896.
• On the history of the former pharmaceutical laboratory technicians in the western Ore Mountains. Gardener, Schneeberg / Schwarzenberg 1898 ( digitized version ).

literature

• Manfred Bachmann (Ed.): Dr. Ernst Köhler - founder of the Saxon Ore Mountains Association. In: Small chronicle of great masters - Erzgebirge we are proud of. Part 1, printer and publisher Mike Rockstroh, Aue 2000, pp. 102-105.
• Günter Eckardt: Johann August Ernst Koehler. In: Erzgebirgische Heimatblätter 11 (1989) 4, pp. 96-99.

Web links

Commons : Ernst Köhler  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Ernst Köhler  - Sources and full texts

• Brigitte Emmrich: Köhler, Johann August Ernst . In: Institute for Saxon History and Folklore (Ed.): Saxon Biography .
• Honoring Ernst Köhler on the 100th anniversary of his death (PDF file; 231 kB)