Heinrich Erkes

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Heinrich Erkes (born May 18, 1864 in Elberfeld (now part of Wuppertal ), † April 1, 1932 in Cologne ) was a German businessman , Icelandic researcher , librarian and social democratic politician.

Early years and profession

He spent his youth in Cologne. There the father ran an import business for sheep's wool, hides and other products. After graduating from high school at Marzellegymnasium , he studied modern languages ​​and geology in Bonn . He also stayed on study trips to Leeds , Siena and Leuven . He completed a commercial apprenticeship in Cologne. He initially worked as a sales representative for Australian and New Zealand companies abroad, lived temporarily in Genoa and married Maria Haag in 1889. The marriage had three children. One of the sons was the sinologist Eduard Erkes . In 1892 he took over the management of the family's trading company. A few years later he was the sole owner.

politics

Erkes had been a member of the SPD since 1890. In 1908 he published a paper on the women's question ( The modern women's question in the light of socialism ). He was a member of the press committee of the Rheinische Zeitung . From about 1910 he was a member of the education committee of the Cologne party together with Eugen Prager . In 1916 he took part in the SPD party congress. Since 1917 he was a member of the Cologne city ​​council . During the November Revolution he was a member of the Cologne Workers 'and Soldiers' Council. He held the mandate as city councilor until 1924. From 1920 to 1924 he was a member of the General Council of the Central Association of German Consumer Cooperatives . Between 1921 and 1924 he was a member of the Prussian state parliament .

Iceland researcher and librarian

Erkes had been seriously interested in Iceland since around 1900. He learned the Icelandic language and made various research trips to the island since 1905. He documented this photographically and published reports. After 1906 he published the first phrasebook for New Icelandic. In particular, he made a name for himself in the professional world through contributions to the geology of Iceland . He was appointed a corresponding member by the Geography Association in Dresden. He became a co-founder of the Friends of Iceland Association. In the association founded in 1913, he took over the post of second secretary. At times he was later also managing director of the organization. He published numerous articles in the organ of the association. He also wrote travelogues for a wider audience, most of which he published in the Rheinische Zeitung. Icelandic authors also published their own translations there.

Erkes systematically collected all Icelandic records that he could reach. This resulted in an extensive library with around 6000 titles at last. Of particular note are about 280 works that were printed before 1800. These include the printing of the first Icelandic Bible from 1584 and various old editions of the Edda .

In connection with the First World War , Erkes had to give up his entrepreneurial activity, which was based on business with overseas. In 1920, through the mediation of Konrad Adenauer , Erkes became a scientific librarian at the library of the new University of Cologne without the appropriate qualifications . This aroused the public suspicion of "Kölschen Klüngel". He brought his collection to Iceland in the university library. This survived the Second World War largely undamaged. In 1930, Erkes retired.

The Icelandic government awarded him the Order of the Falcon in 1924 .

Fonts (selection)

  • Short German-New Icelandic phrasebook with grammar and dictionary , main volume and supplement, Dortmund: Ruhfus 1906–1907.
  • The modern question of women in the light of socialism , Cologne: Verlag der Rheinische Zeitung [approx. 1908] (pamphlets of the Social Democratic Agitation Committee for the Upper Rhine Province; 5).
  • From the uninhabited interior of Iceland: Ódádahraun and Askja; with a sketch of the Dyngjufjöll mountain range and the Askja , Dortmund: Ruhfus 1909.
  • The Askja in Inner Iceland / the outline based on trigonometric measurements by G. Caroc (1876). Survey of the lake and the lava outflow from 1922 by Gudmundur G. Bárdarson (1923) . In: Dr. A. Petermann's communications from Justus Perthes' Geographischer Anstalt, Vol. 71 (1925).
  • New geographic research on Iceland . In: Communications from the Geography Association in Dresden. 1925.
  • Hvitramannaland again . In: Petermanns Geographische Mitteilungen, Vol. 74 (1928), pp. 284–288.

literature

  • Regina Jucknies: Heinrich Erkes (1864–1932). Cologne merchant, expert on Iceland and a clever librarian. Reprint from: Iceland 15 year 2009 digital version (PDF; 820 kB)
  • Hans Gerd Esser: Heinrich Erkes, the Icelandic explorer. In: Polar explorer 1951 digitized version (PDF; 1.2 MB)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Erkes, Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German businessman, Icelandic researcher and politician
DATE OF BIRTH May 18, 1864
PLACE OF BIRTH Elberfeld
DATE OF DEATH April 1, 1932
Place of death Cologne