Otto Kaiser (forester)

Otto Kaiser (born September 30, 1824 in Willingshausen , † March 1, 1915 in Trier ) was a German forester . He is considered a pioneer of modern forest management. He always observes nature closely and tried to implement a sophisticated, sustainable spatial planning of the forest early on.

Memorial stone for Otto Kaiser at the Idarwald car park

Life

Kaiser was the son of Carl Kaiser , head forester from Nassau in Bad Ems , and Sophie Wilhemine Kaiser born. Kempf (* 1800). He was married to Hermione Chelius and had a son and two daughters.

Kaiser attended grammar school in Koblenz . After graduating from high school, he completed a practical forestry apprenticeship and then studied at the Polytechnic in Karlsruhe . After completing his studies, he joined the Nassau forest service, but also worked temporarily as an accessist at a chief forester. After Nassau was incorporated into Prussia, it was taken over by the Prussian forest administration. At the time, Kaiser played a key role in developing the forest management system into the form we know today. From 1854 Kaiser also worked in the trigonometric survey of the Duchy of Hesse .

In 1859, Kaiser was given the management of the Brandoberndorf chief forester , and in 1866 he became chief forester in Montabaur . In 1870 he was appointed "Taxations Revisionskomissarius" and was responsible for the establishment of a 13,000 hectare forest around Biedenkopf - Battenberg . Similar work was transferred to the Kassel and Wiesbaden districts. In 1874 Kaiser was promoted to forestry council. His official seat was now Kassel.

Ten years later, in 1884, Kaiser moved to the Trier administrative district , where he was now responsible for the high forest . By 1900 he established large areas of new state forest here. He was also involved in setting up a 60,000 hectare area in the Eupen district near Aachen . In addition, many community forests were created in the Hunsrück and the Eifel during his time .

Kaiser did not retire until he was 77. At the age of 85, however, he still went stalking.

In the heart of the Idarwald , Kaiser built a residential hut that is known today as the "OK hut". From a structural point of view, the OK hut is a spacious half-timbered house. The structure was located on federal highway 269 from Morbach to Birkenfeld , but was demolished before July 2011. Today the historic memorial stone for Otto Kaiser is located on the site of the hut. Its text reads: “Otto Kaiser / government: u. Forestry Council / * September 30, 1824 / to Willingshausen (Kurhessen) / † to Trier March 1, 1915. / Dear forest. a loyal friend / wants to rest with you! "

Next to the former hut, the “Idarwald” car park was created on the B 269, which serves as a starting point for cross-country tours in winter and for hikes in the high and Idar forest in summer .

The so-called "Kaiserweg" is named after Otto Kaiser, a hiking trail that begins at the St. Michaels Chapel in Taben-Rodt ( Trier-Saarburg district , Rhineland-Palatinate) and through the Taben Forest nature reserve with spectacular steep slopes above the Saar to the train station in Mettlach ( Merzig-Wadern district , Saarland ). This path was planned by Otto Kaiser in 1912.

Works

Contributions to the maintenance of soil management with special consideration for the water level issue. Springer, Berlin & Heidelberg 1883. ( online at Google Books , online at Springer )
The economic division of the forests with special consideration of the mountains in connection with the laying of the road network. Springer, Berlin & Heidelberg 1902. ( online at Google Books , online at Springer )
The expansion of the economic division of the path and aisle network in the forest. Springer, Berlin 1904. ( online at Google Books , online at Springer )

Awards

Kaiser received, among other things, the Order of the Crown II. Class , Order of the Red Eagle III. Class and several Luxembourg medals.

literature

E. Bauer: Government and Forestry Councilor Otto Kaiser - a life dedicated to forest management and forest maintenance . 1976.
Kurt Mantel : Kaiser, Otto. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 11, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1977, ISBN 3-428-00192-3 , p. 43 f. ( Digitized version ).
Berthold Staudt: The "OK hut" on the federal highway 269 between Morbach and Birkenfeld . In: Yearbook 2013, ed. from the Hunsrückverein e. V., Herrstein 2013, pp. 154-160.
Former forest division in the high forest , in: KuLaDig, Kultur.Landschaft.Digital. (Accessed: January 6, 2019)

Web links

Kaiser, Otto (with photo). Hessian biography. (As of September 30, 2016). In: Landesgeschichtliches Informationssystem Hessen (LAGIS).

Individual evidence

↑ Three million euros for safety on the federal road , Trierischer Volksfreund July 25, 2011, accessed on January 5, 2019.
↑ An enchanted jungle and great views , Trierischer Volksfreund October 4, 2010, accessed January 6, 2019.
↑ Heinrich Bauregger & Cornel Brown: Hunsrück: with the Saar-Hunsrück and Soonwald-Nahe. (Rother hiking guide). Bergverlag Rother, Munich 2005, p. 150. ISBN 3-7633-4316-4 .

personal data
SURNAME	Kaiser, Otto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German forester
DATE OF BIRTH	September 30, 1824
PLACE OF BIRTH	Willingshausen
DATE OF DEATH	March 1, 1915
Place of death	trier

[1] Three million euros for safety on the federal road , Trierischer Volksfreund July 25, 2011, accessed on January 5, 2019.

[2] An enchanted jungle and great views , Trierischer Volksfreund October 4, 2010, accessed January 6, 2019.

[3] Heinrich Bauregger & Cornel Brown: Hunsrück: with the Saar-Hunsrück and Soonwald-Nahe. (Rother hiking guide). Bergverlag Rother, Munich 2005, p. 150. ISBN 3-7633-4316-4 .