Meilach Zagorodsky

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Meilach Zagorodsky (1949)

Elimelech "Meilach" Zagorodsky (born January 9, 1868 in the Minsk Governorate / Russian Empire , today Belarus ; † September 23, 1953 in Tel Aviv-Jaffa / Israel ) was a Russian- Jewish agricultural scientist .

Family background

According to his own information from the curriculum vitae in his dissertation from 1911, Meilach Zagorodsky was born in David-Gozodok, Minsk District, Russia (now Belarus), as the son of the teacher and owner of small goods Meier-Josef Zagorodsky (also: Meir Yosef Zagorodsky) and his wife Henie, born Salomon (also: Henya or Hania Shlomo), was born and grew up there. Other biographical reference books state that he did not move there with his parents until he was four years old.

Early education and career

He received his first training from his father. At the age of ten he went to Stolin , where he attended the Horwitz Seminar with his older brother, the later writer Israel Chaim Zagorodsky (1865-1931). He later began teaching himself in Stolin, but then went to Minsk to study in depth . During this time Zagorodsky joined the Chovovei Zion movement .

Zagorodsky later moved to the Crimea , where he worked in agriculture , but also passed a teacher examination. Zagorodsky taught in various villages in the Crimea, a. a. in the villages of the Crimean German and Jewish settlers . He is said to have even founded a school there that taught Hebrew . To this end, he published a textbook that included drawings and instructions for teachers . In 1905 he married Ida Volovik in Bobruisk . At this time Zagorodsky was already living in Simferopol , where he was in contact with the Zionist politician and publicist Avigdor Jacobson . At the local grammar school he also made up his Abitur before moving to Berlin to take up an agricultural degree.

Studied in Berlin and Rostock

Zagorodsky studied four semesters at the Agricultural University in Berlin and partly at the same time six semesters at the University of Berlin . He completed his studies in 1910 as a licensed farmer with an overall grade of "very good". He took u. a. Lectures with Professors Albert Orth , Alexander Herzfeld and Leopold Kny as well as with Karl Hittcher (Kleinhof- Tapiau / Königsberg ).

During his time in Berlin, Zagorodsky was heavily influenced by the later President of the World Zionist Organization Otto Warburg . In 1910/11, Zagorodsky was enrolled at the University of Rostock to do a doctorate in agriculture. For this purpose he attended other courses, including a. with the Rostock professors Paul Falkenberg , Adolf Heydweiller and Franz Honcamp .

In 1911, in Rostock, he wrote his dissertation “About some tropical plants that can also be used as animal feed. I. The banana (Musa) II. The pea (Voandzeia subterranea) ”. From the Philosophical Faculty there he was awarded a magna cum laude Dr. phil. PhD .

Then Zagorodsky stayed for a short time in Sumy , in today's Ukraine .

Working in Palestine / Israel

From 1911 Zagorodsky was in Palestine , initially in Jaffa. On the mediation of Otto Warburg he got a job there as an agricultural consultant and agronomist. He provided support throughout the country in setting up and establishing agricultural settlement projects . To this end, he quickly founded a magazine that dealt with questions of agriculture and economics . After the outbreak of the First World War , Zagorodsky was interned in Egypt . During this time he taught various subjects at a school for immigrants from Israel in Alexandria .

After the war, Zagorodsky returned to Palestine and continued his agricultural activity. He had brought numerous plants from Egypt, some of which were now cultivated in the Jewish colonies.

In the years that followed, Zagorodsky accompanied and documented the development of colonies such as that in Merchawia , one of the very first agricultural settlement projects in Palestine. For this purpose he published in numerous agricultural magazines, but also wrote extensive agricultural books.

As early as 1940, Meilach Zagorodsky handed over his estate to the Jewish National Fund .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Date of birth according to curriculum vitae in the dissertation from 1911
  2. ^ Meilach Zagorodsky matriculated in the Rostock matriculation portal

literature

Agricultural publications (selection)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Zagorodsky, Meilach
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Zagorodski, Melekh
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Agronomist
DATE OF BIRTH January 9, 1868
DATE OF DEATH September 23, 1953
Place of death Tel Aviv-Jaffa