Marc-Théodore Bourrit
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Marc-Théodore Bourrit (born August 6, 1739 in Geneva , † October 7, 1819 in Lancey ) was a Swiss author , draftsman and mountaineer .
Life
Marc-Théodore Bourret came from a family of French descent but, for religious reasons, had sought refuge in Geneva, where his father worked as a watchmaker. Bourrit was both an artist and a pastor. Because of his voice he became cantor of St. Peter's Church in Geneva in 1768 .
Since climbing the Voirons (1761) he discovered his passion for mountaineering and wanted to devote himself to exploring the Alps. In 1775 he was the first to climb Buet (3,096 m). In 1784/1785 he was the first to try to climb Mont Blanc , but failed there. The first ascent took place the following year by another climber. Bourret was not discouraged and in 1787 reopened the route over the Col du Géant (3371 m), which had been forgotten. He also traveled through the mountains of the Valais and Bernese Oberland .
He received a pension from Louis XVI. and was called historiographe des Alpes by Emperor Joseph II , who visited him in Geneva . Bourrit last visited Chamonix in 1812.
Literary work
Bourrit's writings are written in a naive, sentimental, and rather pompous style. His passionate love for the Alps, which he viewed as a miracle of nature and not as an object of scientific study, is expressed again and again. His main works include the description of the Glacières de Savoye 1773 (English translation, Norwich 1775–1776), the description of the Alpes Penninen et rhétiennes (2 vols., 1781) and the descriptions of the cols ou Passagen des Alpes (2 vols., 1803 ). His Itinéraire de Genève and Lausanne et Chamouni were subjected to several editions and only published in 1791.
literature
- Pierre Bourrit: Marc-Théodore Bourrit, 1739-1819: une histoire des Natifs de Genève. Tribune éditions, Geneva 1989.
Web links
- Marc-Théodore Bourrit. In: Sikart
- Daniel Maggetti / MS: Bourrit, Marc-Théodore. In: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland .
- Publications by and about Marc-Théodore Bourrit in the Helveticat catalog of the Swiss National Library
- Notice Biographique sur Mr. Marc-Théodore Bourrit. Imprimerie de G. Fick, Geneva 1836. (French; PDF)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Bourrit, Marc-Théodore |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Swiss author and mountaineer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | August 6, 1739 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Geneva |
| DATE OF DEATH | October 7, 1819 |
| Place of death | Lancey |