Anton Tausche (27 July 1838 – 20 November 1898) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

n teacher, author, and politician. Much of his teaching and writing concerned improvement in farming methods. The town of

Výsluní Výsluní (earlier also Suniperk; german: Sonnenberg) is a town in Chomutov District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 300 inhabitants. Administrative parts Hamlets of Kýšovice, Sobětice, Třebíška, Úbočí a ...

gave him

honorary citizenship Honorary citizenship is a status bestowed by a city or other government on a foreign or native individual whom it considers to be especially admirable or otherwise worthy of the distinction. The honour usually is symbolic and does not confer an ...

for his work in improving crop yields.Constant von Wurzbach (1881). ''Biographical Dictionary of the Empire, Austria (Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich)'', 43. Band, Wien 1881, S. 140 f.

Life and career

Tausche was born in

Teplice Teplice () (until 1948 Teplice-Šanov; german: Teplitz-Schönau or ''Teplitz'') is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 49,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest Czech spa town, after Karlovy Vary. The his ...

. After graduating, he studied

agricultural science Agricultural science (or agriscience for short) is a broad multidisciplinary field of biology that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. Profession ...

at the German Polytechnic Institute in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

and joined the Corps Austria Frankfurt am Main in 1862. He then moved to

Mosonmagyaróvár Mosonmagyaróvár (; german: Wieselburg-Ungarisch Altenburg; also known by other alternative names) is a town in Győr-Moson-Sopron County in northwestern Hungary. It lies close to both the Austrian and Slovakian borders and has a population ...

, where he studied to be an agricultural teacher, graduating in 1864. He took a position in 1868 as adjunct agricultural inspector for aristocratic land holdings in

Žatec Žatec (; german: Saaz) is a town in Louny District in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 19,000 inhabitants. It lies on the Ohře river. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument ...

. In 1876 he became an economic inspector in

Tábor Tábor (; german: Tabor) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 33,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument reservation. Administrative parts The followi ...

. He entered politics in 1876 as a district representative of

Milevsko Milevsko (; german: Mühlhausen) is a town in Písek District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Dmýštice, Klisín, Něžovice, Rukáveč and Velká are administra ...

. While working as an itinerant agricultural teacher, he witnessed a

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

crop failure Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

and pushed for improved farming methods. His successful efforts led to his 1877 appointment as head of all itinerant teachers in German districts of Bohemia. In 1879 the Imperial Council elected him a Member of Parliament for the

Cheb Cheb (; german: Eger) is a town in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 30,000 inhabitants. It lies on the river Ohře. Before the 1945 Expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia, expulsion of the German-speaking population ...

Skalná Skalná (; until 1950 Vildštejn, german: Wildstein) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,900 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Kateřina, Starý Rybník, Vonšov and Zelená are a ...

, and

Aš Aš (; german: Asch) is a town in Cheb District in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Dolní Paseky, Doubrava (Aš), Doubrava, Horní Paseky, Kopaniny (Aš), Kopaniny, ...

districts, which required him to give up his teaching position. In 1883 he was also appointed a Member of Parliament for the Doupov region. He served until 1897 and died in Teplitz-Schönau.

Selected publications

*''Community instructions for profitable potato production (Gemeinfaßliche Anleitung zum einträglichen Kartoffelbau)'' (1878) *''Community instructions for efficient fertilizer husbandry (Gemeinfaßliche Anleitung zur rationellen Düngerwirthschaft)'' (1879) *''How to grow fruit in Bohemia (Was für die Hebung des Obstbaues besonders in Böhmen noth thut)'' (1882) *''The school garden in agricultural relationship Der Schulgarten in landwirtschaftlicher Beziehung)'' (1886)

References

1838 births 1898 deaths People from Teplice German Bohemian people Writers from Austria-Hungary Agronomists Scientists from Austria-Hungary Members of the Bohemian Diet Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1879–1885) Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1885–1891) Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1891–1897) {{Germany-writer-stub