Otto Kersten

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Otto Kersten (1869)

Otto Kersten (born December 23, 1839 in Altenburg ; † November 22, 1900 ibid) was a German Africa explorer , chemist and geographer .

Origin and education

Otto Kersten was born in Altenburg in Thuringia , which at that time still belonged to the Duchy of Saxony-Altenburg . The Stadtkirschner's son attended high school there and studied natural sciences , especially chemistry , in Leipzig . In 1861 he received his doctorate in Leipzig with his work on the nature of the glow of the flame and was briefly assistant at the agricultural college of Chemnitz in Saxony . In the winter of 1861/62 he went to Berlin to begin the preliminary studies on geographical and physical observations, as he intended to join a scientific research trip in the not too distant future . On the mediation of the Berlin African researcher Dr. Heinrich Barth should Kersten in the already since 1860, East Africa make Baron Karl Klaus von der Decken on the island of Zanzibar meet and in his excursions support.

Research trips in Africa

Kilimanjaro , woodcut by Ernst Heyn, after a drawing by vd ceiling, 1869
Galagos , woodcut, drawing by Theodor Franz Zimmermann, 1869

After leaving Glückstadt on the Elbe on April 7, 1862 , Kersten reached Sansibar on July 5, after an 87-day voyage. A warm welcome from Baron von der Betten, he was already planning his early return to Kilimanjaro , which he had already tackled the year before, but had to give up at an altitude of around 2,300 m. In addition to Kersten and the baron, his Italian servant and companion Koralli, or Corolly (his real name was Korrath and came from Styria ) and a hunter named Androik were among the European expedition participants. Furthermore, the caravan consisted of a local guide, 8 servants and 100 porters plus 5 donkeys and 3 dogs. After the necessary preparations in Mombasa , the train first turned south on August 20 to the coastal town of Wanga . Androik had to return to Zanzibar from here due to illness. The further course of the journey led the expedition west to Lake Jipe and the highlands near Arusha , in order to finally venture a second ascent of Kilimanjaro on November 27 from Moshi . The exhaustion of all porters due to the thin mountain air and the additional snowfall forced the baron and his companions to give up again at an altitude of 4,250 m and to return to the coast, where they reached Zanzibar on December 31, 1862. The main result of the two expeditions to Kilimanjaro can be seen as the confirmation of the information provided by its discoverer, the German missionary Johannes Rebmann from 1848, who reported at the time about the snow-capped summit of a volcano near the equator . In addition, the height of the mountain has been determined with an approximate accuracy of an estimated 20,000 feet (6,096 m).

In 1863 Kersten accompanied the baron on his sea voyage to the Seychelles and the island of Réunion , on which her companion Koralli died. The planned trip to Madagascar had to be abandoned due to the murder of King Radama II and the subsequent unrest. Instead, Kersten explored the Comoros archipelago and the island of Nosy Be off Madagascar on his own . In autumn 1863 he explored the East African coast from Wanga to the mouth of the Kingani River near Bagamoio together with the French naturalist Alfred Grandidier . While Kersten was still in the best of health on all the trips he undertook, he finally suffered from an unspecified illness in 1864 and had to return to Germany in February 1865 . Thus he was spared the bitter fate of Baron von derdecke and some of his companions, who were murdered in 1865 while exploring the Juba in southern Somalia .

Return to Germany

Map of the island of Nosy Be by Bruno Hassenstein, 1871

Persistent health problems led Kersten to abandon his original plans to return to East Africa immediately. After learning of the murder of his travel companions in Berlin, he received the order from Princess Adelheid von Pless , the mother of Baron von derdecke, to scientifically process and publish her son's estate. The work, written as a travelogue, entitled Baron Carl Claus von der Decken's Travels in East Africa from 1859 to 1865 , was published in six volumes between 1869 and 1879. Kersten himself wrote the first two volumes, which are titled as the narrative part, as well as the first section of the third volume, which, with two other departments and volume four, makes up the scientific part. The processing of the extensive material required the help of numerous scientists such as Otto Finsch , Gustav Hartlaub , Wilhelm Peters and Alfred Brehm .

Kersten's excursions to East Africa and the evaluation of their results have had a decisive influence on his life and made him stand up for the expansion of German colonies in this area, for which he joined a kind of colonial regulars' table, from which the German colonial movement emerged . “At that time, that is, before the Franco-Prussian War , there was also an association in Berlin of two, later three people who, in the same way, but only in silence, endeavored to study the important questions of colonization and emigration. They met on a Sunday or two a month to discuss matters for which their hearts were beating and of which they expected so much for the greatness and prosperity of Germany. Dr. Ernst Friedel , at that time assessor here and always tirelessly active in charitable matters, was the one who had several years ago Franz Maurer, one of the editors of the Vossische Zeitung and known for his good geographical work, the second, and they joined them at that time as third the author [Otto Kersten] of these lines. "

Ernst Friedel and Franz Theodor Maurer (1831–1872) were the spokesmen for “a group of geographers… who had already advertised plans to direct emigration and colonial expansion at the end of the 1860s, also without much response.” Kersten, later founder of 1879–1881 existing Central Association for Commercial Geography and Promotion of German Interests Abroad , joined in 1867. "By the way, Friedel has the merit [according to Maurer 1867], ... first of all with a specific, detailed reference to the establishment of a colony [ namely in Taiwan ] in the public eye."

“One year after Königgrätz , this group tried in vain to use a joint initiative to draw the interest of the public and the government to colonial questions. Each of them advertised a special colonial project in a brochure: “They each published a book on an overseas territory that seemed free and suitable for colonization. Friedel suggested German colonies in East Asia and the Indian Ocean in his book . Maurer brought up the Nicobar Islands as a colony, while Kersten finally promoted East Africa. His plan to make further research trips to East Africa or even to settle there failed because he could not raise the necessary financial resources.

German consulate in Jerusalem

The Consul General of the German Empire in Jerusalem , Baron Karl Viktor von Alten , hoped that the new head of his office would be a man experienced in geographic issues . The cartographer Prof. Heinrich Kiepert in Berlin was commissioned with the search and found the suitable candidate in Otto Kersten. In 1870 Kersten arrived in Jerusalem, where he worked as head of the chancellery until 1874, and after Baron von Alten was recalled, he was even acting head of the German consulate in Jerusalem for two and a half years . In addition to his diplomatic work, Kersten was very interested in geographical and scientific exploration of Palestine . In the last year of his stay in Jerusalem in particular, he toured the country and carried out one of the first collective expeditions through the Jordan Valley and around the Dead Sea . With the exception of a few mammals , insects, and bird hides , the main part of the collection consisted of a rather extensive herbarium , which Kersten intended to house in a specially established Palestine Museum. The project ultimately failed because no suitable premises could be found for the sensitive plant exhibits. When Kersten returned to Germany in 1874, he handed over his collection to the German Association in Jerusalem, which was founded the previous year . Parts of the collection have been preserved to this day. A large part is in the Gustaf Dalman Institute in Greifswald, another part of the plant collection came into the possession of the herbarium of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem .

2. Return to Germany

After returning to Berlin, Kersten made the decision to do his habilitation in physical geography at the university there . But one more time he was unable to put his plan into practice. In 1876 he married Emma Caroline (Lina) Goldschmidt (1855–?) In Berlin, daughter of the chemist Theodor Goldschmidt , founder of the chemical factory Theodor Goldschmidt . Goldschmidt died in the year of the engagement in 1875 and Kersten took over the management of his father-in-law's factory in trust. As an authorized signatory, he managed the company for the underage sons Karl and Hans Goldschmidt , who only joined the management team after completing their studies in 1882 and 1888, respectively.

Kersten remained closely connected to his previous sphere of activity in the Levant . In 1877 he joined the newly founded association for the exploration of Palestine, the German Palestine Association . Kersten took over the business of the association from Berlin, but also traveled to Jerusalem to give lectures. His most extensive work for the association was the establishment of meteorological stations , whose measuring instruments he selected himself and personally instructed the observers in Palestine how to use them.

Furthermore, Kersten took part in a research trip to Morocco and Algeria from 1882 to 1883 . He prepared well-known researchers like Friedrich Wilhelm Alexander von Mechow , Max Buchner and the brothers Clemens and Gustav Denhardt as well as the governor of German East Africa Hermann von Wissmann for their travels to Africa and practiced them in the art of scientific observation. Kersten was also committed to promoting German interests in Africa. He supported the beginnings of the colonial policy of the German Empire and was in close contact with Friedrich Fabri and Wilhelm Hübbe-Schleiden , who were significantly involved in the development of the German colonial movement. In 1886 Kersten founded the German Pondoland Society to promote colonial efforts in Southeast Africa and became its partner.

In 1896 Kersten moved back to his homeland in Altenburg, where he built a house on a fruit farm in 1898. One of his last tasks was to evaluate the meteorological tables that the observers from Palestine still sent him. In mid-November 1900 he fell ill with the flu , for which signs of a heart condition were diagnosed. After a initially believed recovery, Otto Kersten died of a heart attack on November 22, 1900 .

Dedication names

Kersten stub- tailed chameleon Rieppeleon kerstenii ( Peters , 1868)
Drawing by Rieppeleon kerstenii from 1869, JDL Franz Wagner

Among the large number of name dedications for Otto Kersten, those from the circle of those who edited his East African collected material are in the foreground. One example is the stubby- tailed chameleon Rieppeleon kerstenii ( Peters , 1868) collected by Kersten in East Africa , which the German zoologist Wilhelm Peters, director of the Zoological Museum at the University of Berlin , described in his honor.

zoology

botany

Kersten Glacier

Satellite photo of Kilimanjaro with the location of the main ice fields (June 2004)

One of the larger ice fields (Rebmann, Ceiling, Kersten, Heim and Bailetto glaciers) on the southern slope of Mount Kilimanjaro was named in his honor.

Fonts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Otto Kersten: About the nature of the glow of the flame . Journal für Praktische Chemie, Leipzig, Vol. 84, 1861, pp. 290-317.
  2. ↑ Communications from Justus Perthes ' geographical institute about important new research in the total area of ​​geography by A. Petermann , 1863 Volume 9 pp. 99-102 Baron von der Decken's and Otto Kersten's trip to Kilimanjaro 1862
  3. ↑ Communications from Justus Perthes ' geographical institute about important new research on the total area of ​​geography by A. Petermann , 1866 pp. 66–77, Downfall of the von der Decken expedition, September 1865 - With an overview of the travels of Baron v of the ceilings on the east coast of Africa, 1860 to 1865
  4. ^ Journal for general geography , Berlin, Reimer, NF 12, 1862, pp. 73–81 Letter from Mr. Baron vdeiling to Dr. H. Barth on his trip to Kilimandjaro and its true character. Nov. 1861.
  5. ↑ Communications from Justus Perthes ' geographical institute about important new research in the total area of ​​geography by A. Petermann , 1866 pp. 66–77, Untergang der v. derecken'schen Expedition, September 1865 - With an overview of the travels of Baron von derdecks on the east coast of Africa, 1860 to 1865
  6. ↑ Otto Kersten: Prehistory of the association . In: Central Association for Commercial Geography and Promotion of German Interests Abroad (Ed.): Geographical News for World Trade and Economics. Organ for Emigration and Colonization . Volume 1, 1879, p. 32.
  7. ↑ a b Klaus Bade : Friedrich Fabri and imperialism in the Bismarckian era. Evolution - Depression - Expansion . Atlantis-Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau 1975, also: Dissertation, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau, 1975, new edition: Osnabrück, Internet edition (PDF; 2.9 MB), 2005, p. 180.
  8. ^ Franz Theodor Maurer, The Nicobars . Colonial history and description together with motivated suggestions for the colonization of these islands by Prussia . Heymann, Berlin 1867, SX
  9. ↑ Ernst Friedel: The establishment of Prussian-German colonies in the Indian and Great Ocean with special consideration for Eastern Asia, a study in the area of ​​trade and economic policy . Berlin: Eichhoff, 1867.
  10. ^ Franz Theodor Maurer, The Nicobars. Colonial history and description along with a motivated proposal for the colonization of these islands by Prussia . Berlin: Heymann, 1867.
  11. ↑ Otto Kersten, Ueber Colonization in East Africa with emphasis on its importance for Germany , Vienna: Arnold Hilberg, 1867.
  12. ↑ Haim Goren: Go and explore the land. German research on Palestine in the 19th century , Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen, 2003, pp. 214–215. ISBN 3-89244-673-3 (Series of publications by the Institute for German History at Tel-Aviv University23)
  13. ^ Walter Däbritz, Barbara Gerstein:  Goldschmidt, Johann Wilhelm. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 6, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1964, ISBN 3-428-00187-7 , p. 609 ( digitized version ).
  14. ^ Maria Curter: inventor of the thermite welding process. The chemist Hans Goldschmidt (1861–1923). In: Berlinische Monatsschrift , Issue 8, 1998, pp. 47–49.
  15. ^ Deutsches Kolonial-Lexikon , Heinrich Schnee (Ed.), Volume II, 1920, p. 259.
  16. ↑ Conrad Weidmann : German Men in Africa - Lexicon of the most outstanding German Africa researchers, missionaries, etc. Bernhard Nöhring, Lübeck 1894, p. 67. ( Online at archive.org )
  17. ^ Hermann Guthe: Otto Kersten In: Journal of the German Palestine Association, Immanuel Benzinger (Ed.), Leipzig, Volume 24, 1901, pp. 172–177.
  18. ↑ Wilhelm Peters: About a new genus of rodents, Chiropodomys penicullatus, and about some new or less known amphibians and fish . In: Monthly report of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin , 1868: 448–461

literature

  • Richard Andree : Memories of Otto Kersten. In: Richard Andree (Ed.): “Globus. Illustrierte Zeitschrift für Länder- und Völkerkunde ”, Volume 78, Braunschweig 1900, pp. 386–387
  • Hermann Guthe : Otto Kersten. In: Immanuel Benzinger (Ed.): “Journal of the German Palestine Association”, Volume 24, Leipzig 1900, pp. 172–177

Web links

Commons : Otto Kersten  - Collection of images, videos and audio files


personal data
SURNAME Kersten, Otto
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German African explorer, chemist and geographer
DATE OF BIRTH December 23, 1839
PLACE OF BIRTH Altenburg
DATE OF DEATH November 22, 1900
Place of death Altenburg