Raymond Danube

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Raymond Victor Joseph Donau (born July 2, 1862 in Givet ; † August 4, 1930 ibid) was a French officer and amateur archaeologist .

After attending the schools in Givet and Namur , Donau joined the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1883 . In 1885 he began his service with an infantry regiment in Dunkerque . After serving in the line infantry, he asked in 1889 as an officer to be posted to the French intelligence service in Tunisia . In the same year he was transferred and initially used in Ain Draham . Here he learned Arabic and began to study the population and geography of Tunisia. In 1890 he was transferred to Medenine . From 1892 to 1895 he was in the rank of lieutenant as a general staff officer and head of the office in Tatahouine . In 1895 the Danube was ordered back to France and came to Mayenne ( Pays de la Loire ). However, in 1899 he was reassigned to Tunisia. Here he was first in Le Kef and from March 1900 in the rank of captain commander in chief for the district of Kebili , where he was responsible for liaising with the local population ("affaires indigènes"). In 1906 he was appointed controller of the southern territories before he became battalion commander and military commander of these territories the following year. He dealt intensively with the historical geography of southern Tunisia. He was particularly interested in the rich legacies of Roman colonization and systematically explored the routes of Roman roads and the fortifications of the Limes Tripolitanus on horseback . He recorded his observations in minute detail, made plans and documented inscriptions. This resulted in numerous articles in magazines.

From 1914 to 1918 he took part in the First World War as a lieutenant colonel and fought a. a. in Verdun and retained this rank until the day of his retirement. In 1918 he returned to Medenine as a military commander from southern Tunisia . In 1919 he retired to the rank of colonel from Bougara and went on to pursue his studies.

literature

  • Léon Chavanne: Historique du bureau des affaires indigènes de Tunisie 1881–1930. Bourg 1931.
  • Maurice Euzennat , Pol Trousset : Le camp de Remada, fouilles inédites du Commandant Danube (mars-avril 1914). In: Africa 5-6, 1978, pp. 111-190.

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