Robert Haardt

Robert Haardt (born March 3, 1884 in Vienna ; † May 19, 1962 there ) was an Austrian geographer .

Live and act

After Haardt had studied mechanical engineering at the Vienna Technical University , he joined the enamel factory of his father Adolf Haardt (1847–1907). Between 1913 and 1925 he worked as director of "Arihag - Industrie und Handels AG" in Vienna, from 1926 to 1956 he was a representative of "Rosenthal-Isolatoren GmbH" in Selb (Bavaria), after 1956 a consultant for this company.

Robert Haardt traveled widely. One result of these journeys was his work, published in Vienna in 1920: “Zur Technik des Reisens”, a second his interest in globes . He made it his life's task to sensitize the public to the globe objects that are scientifically, technically and culturally interesting and often sophisticated in terms of their craftsmanship.

One of the main goals of Robert Haardt from the 1930s onwards was the establishment of a state museum in which old globes could be presented to the general public. Although he could count on well-known support, his project was not realized until the end of the 1940s. He then set up a private “globe museum” in his apartment in Vienna's 4th district, in which, in addition to his own collection, publicly owned loans were presented and special exhibitions were held.

Robert Haardt lectured at international congresses and published articles on globe studies in specialist journals. He not only gave important impulses to research on old globes - he also worked tirelessly for the dissemination of globes in the population and especially for the use of these illustrative models in school lessons.

He also gained importance as the inventor of the shaftless, so-called "rolling globe" with devices for direct reading of distances and angle differences, which was produced from 1936 by the "Columbus-Verlag" in Berlin.

In 1952 Robert Haardt initiated the founding of the Coronelli World Association of Globus Friends (now: International Coronelli Society for Globe Studies ) in Vienna and served as its President in Vienna until his death in 1962. In 1956 the Globe Museum with the holdings of Haardt, the Austrian National Library and the Coronelli Society for Globe Studies was opened with 63 exhibits.

Robert Haardt's grave at the Vienna Central Cemetery

The honorary grave of Robert Haardt is located in the Vienna Central Cemetery at the Evangelical Cemetery in Simmering .

Web links

• Evangelical Cemetery Simmering - Robert Haardt
• The Globe Museum of the Austrian National Library and its history