Joseph Russegger

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Josef Russegger, lithograph by Gabriel Decker , 1854

Josef Ritter von Russegger (born October 18, 1802 in Salzburg , † June 20, 1863 in Schemnitz ) was a geologist and mining specialist .

Russegger's father was a magistrate in Salzburg . He enjoyed school education as a teenager in his hometown at the lyceum. During this time his interest in mining developed. Consequently, after graduating from school, he turned to the mining and forestry academy in Schmenitz (today: Banská Štiavnica in Slovakia). He began his studies at this institution in 1823 and completed all of the mountain and forest colleges that are common here by 1825 .

Russegger joined the Austrian Mining State Service on July 21, 1825 as a mining trainee at the Mining and Steelworks Office in Mühlbach near Salzburg. A little later, in 1831, he took up the position of mountain administrator in Böckstein near Bad Gastein . Russegger held this position until 1835. In the course of his work in Böckstein, the work The processing process of gold- and silver-containing Pocherze in the Salzburg mining districts was created , which was published in Stuttgart in 1841 by E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagbuchhandlung .

His first wife died here, still working in Böckstein. This personal event and his interest in research led him to follow a request from the government of Egypt to organize and carry out a comprehensive, mining- oriented research trip to African regions. The client in Cairo appointed him to head this company in September 1835. The start of this voyage took place in January 1836, where he left the port of Trieste on a ship on the 16th of the month . On March 9th, Russegger landed with the expedition in Alexandria . The first travel stops were Cairo and the Libyan Desert . This was followed by explorations in Syria and on the Mediterranean coast near Tarsus . In 1837 Russegger turned south again and came up the Nile for geognostic investigations to Nubia , Kordofan (today Sudan ) and from here to other neighboring regions. Here, he penetrated into the interior of Africa to the 1838 gold-washings of Kiamil ago. From this trip he returned to Egypt in the same year, accompanied by Theodor Kotschy . Russegger then traveled to the Sinai Peninsula and what was then Palestine .

Finally, in February 1839, he set off from Alexandria on the return trip to Europe. He stopped off in Smyrna and Constantinople . On behalf of the Greek king Otto , Russegger undertook montangeological studies in Greece . On the way through Sicily and Italy , he came into contact with numerous learned societies and took on several memberships.

Having come further to southwest Germany , Russegger undertook studies in Belgium and northern France , and went to England and Scotland for the same purpose . When he returned to mainland Europe, he made stops in Hamburg , Lübeck and Copenhagen . From here he took the ship across to Christiania . From this place Russegger visited all the major mining districts in Norway and Sweden . The return journey finally took him back to Vienna in February 1841 . Russegger presented his collected travel results in the multi-volume work Reisen in Europa, Asia und Afrika, with special consideration for the scientific conditions of the countries concerned, undertaken in the years 1835 to 1841 (Stuttgart 1841-1850, 7 volumes with atlas) and in numerous Journal articles with geognostic and mining content are available. In the course of his great journey, he was appointed k. k. Mountain ridge .

At the request of Duke Franz IV of Modena , Russegger traveled to the Apennine Mountains in 1843 with stops in Carrara and other places. He ended this trip prematurely because he was appointed Vice Director of the k. k. Berg- und Salinen-Direction for Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Salzburg at the office in Hall . On May 2, 1846, his further career advancement led to his appointment as k. k. Gubernialrat in the position of salt works administrator and district judge of Wieliczka (now Poland ).

In 1850 he was appointed k. k. Ministerialrat, Mining, Forestry and Goods Director in Lower Hungary as well as director of the k. k. Mountain and Forest Academy in Schemnitz. On July 18, 1852 he received the Knight's Cross of the Leopold Order , whereupon in April 1853 the elevation to the hereditary knighthood was carried out. Since 1848 he was also a member of the Vienna Academy of Sciences (today: Austrian Academy of Sciences ).

Russegger headed the Lower Hungarian mining district for 13 years. There are some advances associated with its activity. These include the revival of mining on the Joseph II Erbstollen in the Schemnitzer Bergrevier, the introduction of Bickford 's safety detonator including the in-house production, improvements and expansions of the water lifting technology in the mining operations as well as the first commissioning of a steam engine for this purpose in his managed mining district. Furthermore, he brought about an economically more favorable restructuring of the smelting processes of silver, lead and copper ores. Furthermore, Russegger promoted the expansion of the Rhonitz ironworks in such a way that they were among the largest enterprises of their kind in the entire Austrian Empire . He succeeded in doing this by expanding the rail rolling mill and building and redesigning the iron smelting facilities. At the same time, his foresight promoted an increase in workers' wages and a modernization of the salaries of staff and civil servants in all official areas of his mining district.

In the late autumn of 1862 Russegger fell ill with pneumonia, from which he recovered briefly, but suffered a relapse at the beginning of March 1863. The further course of the disease ended on June 20 with his death.

In his last decree he wanted a burial according to mining customs. Around 1000 miners in festival uniform followed this will with a mountain chapel with the participation of many students from the k. k. Mining and forest academy by means of a procession from the center of the city of Schemnitz to the mouth of the Glanzenberger Erbstolln. The Diocesan Bishop von Neusohl was also present . After the miners' farewell party at this location, the procession returned with the coffin to the Protestant Church of the Assumption , where Russegger found his final resting place in a crypt.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wilhelm von Gümbel:  Russegger, Joseph Ritter von . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 30, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1890, p. 14 f.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Anonymus: In memory of Joseph Ritter von Russegger . In: Yearbook of the k. k. geological imperial institute , XIII. Volume (1863) 3rd issue, pp. 471-474
  3. ^ Austrian library network : bibliographical evidence. . on www.obvsg.at
  4. ↑ Constantin von Wurzbach : Rußegger, Joseph Ritter von . In: Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich. 27th part. Imperial-Royal Court and State Printing Office, Vienna 1874, p. 293
  5. ^ Austrian library network : bibliographical evidence . on www.obvsg.at
personal data
SURNAME Russegger, Joseph
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Russegger, Joseph Ritter von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian geologist
DATE OF BIRTH October 18, 1802
PLACE OF BIRTH Salzburg
DATE OF DEATH June 20, 1863
Place of death Schemnitz