Julius von Haast

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Johann Franz Julius von Haast, (1860s - 1870s)

Sir Johann Franz Julius von Haast , KCMG , (born May 1, 1822 in Bonn , † August 16, 1887 in Christchurch , New Zealand ) was a German geologist and naturalist .

He was Professor of Geology at Canterbury College in New Zealand. Haast took British citizenship and was known in English-speaking countries under the name of John Francis Julius von Haast .

Live and act

Youth and education

Julius Haast was born on May 1, 1822 in Bonn to the married couple Anna Eva Theodora Ruth and the businessman Mathias Haast. The family is said to have been wealthy. Haast grew up with eight other siblings, was raised Catholic and received his schooling in Bonn until 1838 and then further in Cologne. His high school graduation was described as mediocre. He is said to have been interested in geology and collected minerals as early as school age.

He returned to Bonn to begin a two-year apprenticeship. In his book Julius Haast in the Southern Alps , the author Colin James Burrows suspects that Haast began training in mining and at the same time attended some lectures in geology at the University of Bonn . Haast is said to have attended some geological colleges with Professor Johann Jacob Noeggerath without having been matriculated and to have come into contact with Ernst Heinrich Carl von Dechen , a professor of mining science who came to Bonn in 1841 and took over the chief mining authority in Bonn. It is not known how intense Haast's interest in the course was at the time; in any case, he did not receive a university degree.

Germany

In 1841 Haast moved to Verviers in Belgium , urged by his father , where he became a member of the Masonic Lodge Philadelphia , a Masonic Lodge of the Grand Orient of Belgium , on May 11, 1842 . In 1844 he went back to Germany and settled in Frankfurt am Main . There he earned his living as a flower seller until 1852, traded in textiles, worked as a transport contractor and most recently as a bookseller in the Jügel'schen bookstore in Frankfurt.

Musically inclined, he took singing and violin lessons in Frankfurt and got in touch with the relevant society. It was there that he probably met Antonia Schmidt, who came from a musical family. They married in Frankfurt on October 26, 1846. Their son Robert was born on January 10, 1848. He remained their only child.

Haast is said to have been a peddler from 1852 onwards, making a living from door-to-door sales. During this time he traveled in Holland , Belgium , France , Switzerland , Austria , Italy and also in Russia . The reasons for this and the circumstances of his travels are not known. Haast must have been to England too . In 1857, according to Langner, Haast was involved in a translation of the book New Zealand, the "Britain Of The South": With A Chapter On The Native War And Our Future Native Policy by Charles Hursthouse. To what extent Haast contributed to the translation, which was published by the London shipping company Willis Gann & Co , has not yet been clarified. In 1858, however, Haast was hired by Willis Gann & Co with the assignment to travel to New Zealand and prepare a report on the suitability of the British colony for German immigrants.

New Zealand

On December 21, 1858 Julius Haast reached through the port of Auckland , the North Island of New Zealand. It is not known why Haast did not take his family to New Zealand. He stayed in New Zealand even after his wife Antonia died on October 14, 1859. His son was taken in by his in-laws.

Shortly after arriving in New Zealand, Haast met Ferdinand von Hochstetter , an Austrian geologist and naturalist. Haast accompanied Hochstetter on his geological expeditions to the Drury coal field, the Auckland Volcanic Field , the gold fields of the Coromandel Peninsula , the copper fields of the Great Barrier Island and Kawau, and the area around Nelson . In this way, Haast was able to learn from Hochstetter without having to take on responsible tasks and make his own experiences through independent observations. The collaboration lasted until Hochstetter's departure in October 1859. Despite the separation, they were linked by a lifelong friendship. Haast stayed in New Zealand, although his report to his client Willis Gann & Co about New Zealand was not positive. In the report, he complained about the colony's poor financial resources and problems with the Maori , who, in his opinion, spoke against the successful immigration of German settlers. Regardless of his lack of qualification as a trained geologist, the provincial government of Nelson and in February 1861 the provincial government of Canterbury commissioned him with further geological investigations on the South Island , because during the joint research work with Hochstetter, Haast had acquired extensive geological knowledge and working methods that followed him enable Hochstetter to continue working independently. He quickly made a name for himself with his research results and thus became New Zealand's first recognized professional scientist. The Austrian natural scientist Robert von Lendenfeld continued his glaciological research in the Southern Alps .

Julius Haast with his wife Mary (ca.1865)

In 1861 Haast settled in Christchurch and became a British citizen that same year, as New Zealand was still a British colony. This year he also began to put together a small museum collection that found space in a room in the provincial government building. On July 24, 1862, the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury was founded on his initiative, and he became its first president. The institute supported his idea of ​​founding a museum.

On June 25, 1863, Haast married Mary Ann Dobson (1844-1913), a daughter of Edward Dobson, an engineer from the province of Canterbury. From this marriage there were four sons and one daughter. The son George von Haast (1867–1954) studied painting under Adolf Schill and Johann Peter Theodor Janssen at the Düsseldorf Art Academy until 1894 . Edward Dobson was a founding member of the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury , later also its president and supporter of the idea of ​​building a geological museum in Christchurch.

In 1863 Haast founded the Canterbury Museum . In December 1867 his geological and archaeological collection was brought together for the first time and presented to the public in the building of the provincial government. More supporters quickly found themselves to build their own museum building. At this point in time, Haast's collection already comprised 7,887 exhibits. In 1868 he was elected director of the Canterbury Museum he initiated. The new building with its collection was opened just two years later.

In 1871, Haast and Bishop HJC Harper founded the Canterbury Collegiate Union , which promoted the founding of Canterbury College in 1873. Haast taught geology and paleontology at the college , was appointed professor of geology in 1876 and held the professorship at the college until his death. In 1879 he became a member of the Senate of the University of New Zealand .

Over the years of his work in New Zealand, Julius Haast has received numerous honors and awards at home and abroad. In 1885, two years before his sudden death, he was named Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (KCMG) by the British Queen for his services . Julius von Haast died at the age of 65 on the early morning of August 16, 1887 of heart disease.

Awards or memberships

Works

  • John Francis Julius von Haast: Report of a topographical and geological exploration of the western districts of the Nelson Province . Ed .: Nelson provincial government . Nelson 1861 (English, auckland.ac.nz ).
  • John Francis Julius von Haast: On the Southern Alps of Canterbury, Middle Island, New Zealand . Ed .: Johann Franz Julius von Haast . Christchurch 1864 (presented to the Royal Geographical Society of New Zealand on February 8, 1864).
  • Dr. Julius Haast: Observations on some birds of New Zealand . Communicated by Dr. Otto Finsch , in Bremen, in: Journal für Ornithologie , 16. Jg., Theodor Fischer, Cassel 1868, p. 238ff. (Continuation: Otto Finsch: About the birds of New Zealand . In: Journal für Ornithologie , 18. Jg., Theodor Fischer, Cassel 1870, p. 241ff.)
  • John Francis Julius von Haast: Geology of the provinces of Canterbury and Westland, New Zealand: a report comprising the results of official explorations . Ed .: Province of Canterbury . Christchurch 1879 (English).
  • The gold fields on the west coast of the province of Canterbury New Zealand , p.135ff in communications from Justus Perthes' geographical institute about important new explorations in the whole area of ​​geography by A. Petermann

Named after Haast

Named after Julius Haast:

literature

  • Ludwig Gebhardt: On the history of the natural scientific exploration of New Zealand , (The proportion of Central European researchers in the 19th century), in: Bonner Zoological Contributions , Volume 20, Issue 1, 2, 3, 1969, pp. 219-227, ( PDF , contains, among others Depictions of Ernst Dieffenbach , Ferdinand von Hochstetter and Julius von Haast.)
  • Martin Müllerott:  Haast, Sir Julius Johann Franz Ritter von. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 7, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1966, ISBN 3-428-00188-5 , p. 384 f. ( Digitized version ).
  • Sascha Nolden: The life and legacy of Sir Julius von Haast: exploring archival documentary heritage collections . In: Records of the Canterbury Museum , Christchurch / New Zealand 2016, Vol. 30, pp. 67–82 ( PDF ).
  • Mark Edward Caudel: Julius Haast. Towards a New Appreciation of His Life and Work . University of Canterbury 2007
  • Rodney Fisher : Julius von Haast . In: James N. Bade (Ed.): The German Connection - New Zealand and the German-speaking Europe in the Nineteenth Century . Chapter 16 . Oxford University Press , Auckland 1993, ISBN 0-19-558283-7 , pp. 145-151 (English).
  • Heinrich Ferdinand von Haast: The Life and Times of Sir Julius von Haast, KCMG, Ph.D., D.Sc., FRS, explorer, geologist, museum builder . Wellington 1948 (English, 22 chapters, 1142 pages, self-published by the author).

Web links

Commons : Julius von Haast  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Peter B. Maling : Haast, Johann Franz Julius von . In: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography . Ministry for Culture & Heritage , October 2017, accessed June 12, 2011 .
  2. ^ A b c Ludwig Gebhardt: On the history of the scientific exploration of New Zealand . In: Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (Ed.): Bonn Zoological Contributions . tape 20 issue 1/3. Bonn 1969, p. 219–227 ( Online [PDF; 3.7 MB ; accessed on February 21, 2011]).
  3. ^ A b c Mark Edward Caudel : Julius Haast - Towards a new appreciation of his life and work . Ed .: University of Canterbury . 2007 (English, online [PDF; 10.9  MB ; accessed on February 21, 2011] Author's work for the Master of Arts in History ).
  4. ^ Colin James Burrows : Julius Haast in the Southern Alps . Canterbury University Press , Christchurch 2005, ISBN 1-877257-08-7 (English).
  5. ↑ a b c d e f Martin Müllerott:  Haast, Sir Julius Johann Franz Ritter von. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 7, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1966, ISBN 3-428-00188-5 , p. 384 f. ( Digitized version ).
  6. ↑ a b Wolfgang Gutling: Minerals, Moas and Maori. Culture in Bonn, 2010, archived from the original on December 11, 2011 ; accessed on April 21, 2019 (original website no longer available).
  7. ↑ a b DF Heynemann: Report on the Senckenberg natural research society in Frankfurt am Main . Ed .: Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft. Frankfurt 1888, p. 5 .
  8. ^ A b Wolfhart Langer: The Bonn New Zealand researcher Sir Johann Franz Julius von Haast (1822-1887). In: Bonner Heimat- und Geschichtsverein eV (Hrsg.): Bonner Geschichtsblätter . tape 39 . Bonn 1989, p. 273-293 .
  9. ^ Charles Hursthouse : New Zealand, the "Britain Of The South:" With A Chapter On The Native War And Our Future Native Policy . Ed .: Edward Stanford . London 1857 (English).
  10. ↑ (Arthur Gann & Co) Willis : Handbook for Emigrants to New Zealand, Great Britain in the southern hemisphere . Ed .: August Osterrieth. Frankfurt 1859 (143 pages, German translation of New Zealand, the "Britain Of The South by Charles Hursthouse ).
  11. ↑ Oliver J. Harrison : The Paradise of the Southern Hemisphere - The Perception of New Zealand and the Maori in Written Accounts of German-speaking Explorers and Travelers 1839-1889 . Ed .: University of Auckland . Auckland 2006 (English, doctoral thesis).
  12. ↑ Harald Lobitzer, Karl Kadletz: Ferdinand von Hochstetter and the circumnavigation of the "Novara" . In: Albert Schedl, Thomas Hofmann (eds.): Grenzenlos (=  reports of the Geol. Bundesanstalt . Volume 62 ). Vienna 2005, p. 40 .
  13. ^ Biographical details . British Museum , accessed June 1, 2011 .
  14. ^ Johann Franz Julius von Haast, 1822 - 1887 . Christchurch City Libraries , accessed June 15, 2011 .
  15. ↑ Montague Mosley : Illustrated Guide to Christchurch and Neighborhood . Ed .: JT Smith & Co. . Christchurch 1885, p.  97-101 (English, online [accessed February 21, 2011]).
  16. ^ Bettina Baumgärtel : Chronicle of the Düsseldorf School of Painting 1815–2011 . In: The Düsseldorf School of Painting and its international impact 1819–1918 . tape  1 . Michael Imhof Verlag, Petersberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-86568-702-9 , p. 373 .
  17. ^ John Francis Julius (Julius) Haast, 1824–87 . In: Darwin Correspondence Project . University of Cambridge , accessed June 15, 2011 .
  18. ^ A b Rodney Fisher : Julius von Haast . In: James N. Bade (Ed.): The German Connection - New Zealand and the German-speaking Europe in the Nineteenth Century . Oxford University Press , Auckland 1993 (English).
  19. ↑ Sudden Death of Sir Julius Von Haast . In: The Nelson Evening Mail . Volume XXI, Issue 193. Nelson August 16, 1887, p.  2 (English, online [accessed February 21, 2011]).
  20. ↑ Obituary - Sir Julius von Haast . In: Geological Magazine . Volume 4, Issue 9 , September 1887, pp.  432 (English, online [accessed April 21, 2019]).
  21. ↑ Julius von Haast's membership entry at the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina , accessed on February 6, 2016.
  22. ^ The Royal Society (Ed.): List of Fellows of the Royal Society 1660 - 2007 . London July 2007 (English).
  23. ↑ Member entry by Prof. Dr. Julius von Haast (with picture) at the Bavarian Academy of Sciences , accessed on February 6, 2016.
  24. ↑ Local and General . In: The Star . Issue 2059. Christchurch October 13, 1874, p.  2 (English, online [accessed February 21, 2011]).
  25. ↑ Order of the Iron Crown , III. Class, in: Hof- und Staats-Handbuch der Austro-Hungarian Monarchy: for the 1876 , Hof- und Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, p. 115, digitized http: //vorlage_digitalisat.test/1%3D~GB%3DEtHXoixDXswC~IA%3D~MDZ%3D%0A~SZ%3D115~ double-sided%3D~LT%3D~PUR%3D
  26. ^ Notices from the Ornithological Association in Vienna. (PDF 1.5 MB) Upper Austrian Provincial Museums, accessed on June 15, 2011 .
  27. ↑ today: Bonn Zoological Bulletin .

Remarks

  1. ↑ In numerous English-language sources the year of birth of Julius Haast is given as 1824. A reason for this difference cannot be identified from the various sources. A transmission error is assumed here.
personal data
SURNAME Haast, Julius von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Haast, Johann Franz Julius von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German-New Zealand geologist, naturalist and explorer
DATE OF BIRTH May 1, 1822
PLACE OF BIRTH Bonn
DATE OF DEATH August 16, 1887
Place of death Christchurch , New Zealand