Georg Forster: Difference between revisions
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Georg Forster was born in the small village of [[Mokry Dwór]] |
Georg Forster was born in the small village of [[Mokry Dwór]] [[Gdańsk]]'' in [[|Polish]] province of [[Royal Prussia]]. As a child, his father, naturalist and scientist [[Johann Reinhold Forster]], took him along on his study and research travels. Later, they both took part in [[James Cook]]'s second expedition to the [[Pacific]] ([[1772]]–[[1775|75]]), on board of the ''[[HMS Resolution (Cook)|HMS Resolution]]''. On his return he published an account of the voyage entitled ''A Voyage round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years, 1772, 3, 4, and 5'' ([[1777]]). |
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Both Forsters published travel descriptions to the [[South Sea]] in the ''Magazin von merkwürdigen neuen Reisebeschreibungen'' ("''Magazine of notable new travel accounts''") in [[Berlin]]; and Georg, a translation of "''A Voyage to the South Sea, by Lieutenant [[William Bligh]], [[London]] [[1792]]''" in [[1791]] and [[1793]]. The innovative descriptions of those travels were the basis for many books and films, like ''[[Mutiny on the Bounty]]''. |
Both Forsters published travel descriptions to the [[South Sea]] in the ''Magazin von merkwürdigen neuen Reisebeschreibungen'' ("''Magazine of notable new travel accounts''") in [[Berlin]]; and Georg, a translation of "''A Voyage to the South Sea, by Lieutenant [[William Bligh]], [[London]] [[1792]]''" in [[1791]] and [[1793]]. The innovative descriptions of those travels were the basis for many books and films, like ''[[Mutiny on the Bounty]]''. |
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Revision as of 12:04, 6 September 2005
Johann Georg Adam Forster (November 26, 1754 – January 10, 1794) was a Polish-born German botanical collector and artist.
Biography
 | The neutrality of this section is disputed. |
Georg Forster was born in the small village of Mokry Dwór Gdańsk in the Polish province of Royal Prussia. As a child, his father, naturalist and scientist Johann Reinhold Forster, took him along on his study and research travels. Later, they both took part in James Cook's second expedition to the Pacific (1772–75), on board of the HMS Resolution. On his return he published an account of the voyage entitled A Voyage round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years, 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (1777).
Both Forsters published travel descriptions to the South Sea in the Magazin von merkwürdigen neuen Reisebeschreibungen ("Magazine of notable new travel accounts") in Berlin; and Georg, a translation of "A Voyage to the South Sea, by Lieutenant William Bligh, London 1792" in 1791 and 1793. The innovative descriptions of those travels were the basis for many books and films, like Mutiny on the Bounty.
On initiative of Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, Forster became Professor of Natural History at Wilno University in 1784 (upon his return to the Continent). He broke the contract 6 years short of its completion, after Catherine II of Russia offered him higher wages. This resulted in a conflict between Forster and Jędrzej Śniadecki. However, the Russian proposal was withdrawn and Forster left Wilno and later made a tour of the Rhine with Alexander von Humboldt in 1790. Despite his Scottish roots and being born in Polish Royal Prussia, Forster was of German heritage and he considered himself as such. Later in his life he expressed extreme antipolish views [1], insulting Poles in his writings [2] (e.g. calling Poles "cattle in human form"[3]), thus being one of the precursors of antipolonism in Prussia [4]. He was also the author of German nationalistic "Polnische Wirtschaft" stereotype [5], the term that he coined in 1784. He expressed support for the French Revolution, was expelled from Germany as a traitor and died in poverty in Paris.
In Botanics, the standard botanical author abbreviation G.Forst. is applied to plants described by him.
Bibliography
- A Voyage round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years, 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (1777)
- Journal of travels in Poland (August-November, 1784), The Warsaw Voice, 1990 31 8-9
- Dissertatio botanico-medica de plantis esculentis insularum oceani Australis (1785)
- Essays on the moral and natural geography, natural history and phylosophy (1789-1797)
- Views of the Lower Rhine, Brabant, Flanders (three volumes, 1791-1794)
- Letters (posthumous compilation of his correspondence, 1828)
References
^ Lawaty, Andreas, „Polnische Wirtschaft“ und „deutsche Ordnung“: Nachbarbilder und ihr Eigenleben, in: Der Fremde, Interdisziplinäre Beiträge zu Aspekten von Fremdheit, Hg. Bernhard Oestreich, Peter Lang Verlag 2003, p. 156–166.
^ Bömelburg, Hans-Jürgen, Georg Forster und das negative deutsche Polenbild. Ein Kosmopolit als Architekt von nationalen Feindbildern?, in: Mainzer Geschichtsblätter 8 (1993), p. 79-90.
^ Stasiewski, Bernhard, "Polnische Wirtschaft" und Johann Georg Forster, eine wortgeschichtliche Studie., in: Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift im Wartheland 2 (1941), H. 3/4, p. 207-216.
^ Krause, Hans-Thomas, Georg Forster und Polen. In: Georg Forster (1754-1794). Ein Leben für den wissenschaftlichen und politischen Fortschritt, in: Wissenschaftliche Beiträge der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg T 42, Beiträge zur Universitätsgeschichte). Halle/S. 1981, p. 79-85.
^ Books books (accessed on September 1st, 2005). In the review of: "Czarna legenda Polski: Obraz Polski i Polaków w Prusach 1772-1815" (The black legend of Poland: the image of Poland and Poles in Prussia between 1772-1815), by Dariusz Łukasiewicz. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk, 1995. Vol. 51 of the history and social sciences series (English and German summaries). ISBN 8370631487.
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