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August von Herder (18 August 1776 - 29 January 1838) was a German
geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, alth ...
and
mineralogist Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proc ...
. From 1813 he served in a succession of increasingly senior posts in the
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
government mines service, ending up in 1826 as government mining director (''"Berghauptmann"''). He was an energetic and highly effective moderniser of the Saxon mining industry.


Biography

''Sigismund August Wolfgang Herder'' was born in
Bückeburg Bückeburg ( Northern Low Saxon: ''Bückeborg'') is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, on the border with North Rhine Westphalia. It is located in the district of Schaumburg close to the northern slopes of the Weserbergland ridge. Population: 21, ...
, an economically diversified hill-town to the west of
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
. Bückeburg owed much of its prosperity and intellectual dynamism to its status as the long-established administrative and commercial hub of
Schaumburg-Lippe Schaumburg-Lippe, also Lippe-Schaumburg, was created as a county in 1647, became a principality in 1807, a free state in 1918, and was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present day state of Lower Saxony, with its capital at Bück ...
. The adjacent Bückeberg hills were an important source of building stone. However, later during 1776, August's family relocated to
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
after his father accepted a church appointment there, mediated through the intervention of his friend
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tre ...
, as "Generalsuperintendent". August was the second son of the philosopher-poet
Johann Gottfried Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder ( , ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. Biography Born in Mohrun ...
(1744-1803) and his wife, born Maria Karoline Flachsland (1750-1809). Born into an enlightenment milieu, his
godparent In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelo ...
s included
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tre ...
, the Lutheran philosopher
Johann Georg Hamann Johann Georg Hamann (; ; 27 August 1730 – 21 June 1788) was a German Lutheran philosopher from Königsberg known as "the Wizard of the North" who was one of the leader figures of post-Kantian philosophy. His work was used by his student J. G. ...
and the journalist-poet
Matthias Claudius Matthias Claudius (15 August 1740 – 21 January 1815) was a German poet and journalist, otherwise known by the pen name of “Asmus”. Life Claudius was born at Reinfeld, near Lübeck, and studied at Jena. He spent the greater part of his li ...
. Goethe, still a young man, undertook frequent trips to Italy during the 1780s and loved children. Being extremely fond of the Herder children, he allowed them to accompany him. As a teenager Goethe had himself acquired the habit of undertaking lengthy exploratory hikes through the countryside, and having retained the habit into adulthood, he sometimes permitted his friend's teenager son August to accompany him on his "expeditions". Another of his father's friends was the "Africa explorer" and naturalist August von Einsiedel. It was through the interest of these two mentors that August von Herder's interest in Natural sciences, and more specifically in
Mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proc ...
, was awakened. He attended the well regarded Wilhelm-Ernst-Gymnasium (secondary school) in
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
(where his father served as school-director between 1776 and 1791). He was then sent with his younger brother Wilhelm to spend a year during 1794/95 at
Neuchâtel Neuchâtel (, , ; german: Neuenburg) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Canton of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, situated on the shoreline of Lake Neuchâtel. Since the fusion in 2021 of the municipalities of Neuchâtel, Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Peseu ...
on the
francophone French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, by which time French was the l ...
western side of
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
, principally so that the boys might improve their mastery of the
French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in No ...
. In 1795 he enrolled as a student at the
University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The u ...
. After a year her transferred to
Göttingen Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the capital of the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, the population was 118,911. General information The or ...
. He studied Mathematics,
Physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which relat ...
, Chemistry and
Mineralogy Mineralogy is a subject of geology specializing in the scientific study of the chemistry, crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of minerals and mineralized artifacts. Specific studies within mineralogy include the proc ...
. He transferred again in 1797, this time to the specialist Mining Academy at
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
in
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, where he studied for the next three years. At the Mining Academy he was powerfully influenced by the teaching of the pioneering geologist
Abraham Gottlob Werner Abraham Gottlob Werner (; 25 September 174930 June 1817) was a German geologist who set out an early theory about the stratification of the Earth's crust and propounded a history of the Earth that came to be known as Neptunism. While most ten ...
. Among his student contemporaries Baron von Hardenberg (generally known in sources simply by his literary pseudonym as "Novalis") and
Henrik Steffens Henrik Steffens (2 May 1773 – 13 February 1845), was a Norwegian philosopher, scientist, and poet. Early life, education, and lectures He was born at Stavanger. At the age of fourteen he went with his parents to Copenhagen, where he studied ...
became particularly well-trusted friends. During this period he was a co-founder of the "Erzgebirgischen Landsmannschaft der Montanen", a
student fraternity Fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities in North America. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. Some accept gradua ...
with its regional focus on the Erzgebirgisch mining region, and later known more simply as the "Corps Montania".100 Jahre Weinheimer Senioren-Convent, pp. 137–138. Bochum, 1963 Herder had long since decided to make a science-based career in mining, which in Saxony would probably lead to work in government service in the so-called "Berg- und Hüttenwesen" (mines department). That in turn required certain legal and administrative training and qualifications, which necessitated a move to the University of
Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north ...
. Two years later, in 1802, he emerged with a doctorate. In 1802 his father was
ennobled Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...
by
Prince-elector The prince-electors (german: Kurfürst pl. , cz, Kurfiřt, la, Princeps Elector), or electors for short, were the members of the electoral college that elected the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the 13th century onwards, the prince ...
Maximilian IV Joseph of
Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
. The family name, hitherto "Herder", became "von Herder": It is with the name "von Herder" that subsequent sources normally identify family members. In 1802, after passing the necessary state exams at
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
, von Herder embarked on his professional career, taking a position as Mining Services Inspector (''"Bergamtsassessor"'') with responsibilities covering the mines in
Marienberg Marienberg is a town in Germany. It was the district capital of the Mittlerer Erzgebirgskreis (Central Ore Mountains district) in the southern part of Saxony, and since August 2008 it has been part of the new district of Erzgebirgskreis. As of ...
,
Geyer Geyer is a town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany. It has a population of about 4000. Geography Geyer is situated northwest of Annaberg-Buchholz, and south of Chemnitz, in the valley of the ''Geyersbach'' creek. The to ...
,
Ehrenfriedersdorf Ehrenfriedersdorf () is a town in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated 8 km northwest of Annaberg-Buchholz, and 21 km south of Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt , ) is the third-la ...
and Schneeberg. Promotion during the ensuring twenty years was unusually rapid. In 1804 he was returned to
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
as Senior Mining Services Assessor (''"Oberhüttenamtsassessor"''), which seems to have involved Mines Services Commissioner duties and wider oversight powers than before. Prussian and Austrian defeat in 1806 meant the removal of Prussian power from central Germany and an end to the
Holy Roman empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 un ...
, so there could be no longer any
Electorate of Saxony The Electorate of Saxony, also known as Electoral Saxony (German: or ), was a territory of the Holy Roman Empire from 1356–1806. It was centered around the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Chemnitz. In the Golden Bull of 1356, Emperor Charles ...
: Saxony became instead a "kingdom", with imperial (i.e. French) backing.
War War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
and the associated international power shifts brought an increased emphasis on regulation and adherence. In 1810 von Herder was appointed to the Mines Council. In 1817 he was given a seat and a vote on the
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
Privy Budget Council (''"Geheim Finanzkollegium"'') and in 1821 on the Privy Mines Council (''"Geheim Bergkollegium"''). In 1819 he was appointed deputy to the government Mines Director (''"Vizeberghauptmann"'') and in 1826 Mines Director (''"Oberberghauptmann"''), which was the highest position in the
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
Mines Department. The Longstanding Saxon Elector Frederick Augustus I became both the King of Saxony and the Duke of Warsaw in 1807, following political constitutional changes imposed by the emperor. In 1809 the King-Duke mandated von Herder to organise the
iron works An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''. Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...
at Panki (
Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( pl, Górny Śląsk; szl, Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk; cs, Horní Slezsko; german: Oberschlesien; Silesian German: ; la, Silesia Superior) is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia, locate ...
) which, under the new arrangements, had become crown property. In 1810 von Herder's negotiating skills were called into play when he headed up the
Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...
team in negotiations with the
Austrian government The Government of Austria (german: Bundesregierung der Republik Österreich) is the executive cabinet of the Republic of Austria. It consists of the chancellor, who is the head of government, the vice chancellor and the ministers. Appoint ...
over the future organisation of the highly valuable
Wieliczka Salt Mine The Wieliczka Salt Mine ( pl, Kopalnia soli Wieliczka) is a salt mine in the town of Wieliczka, near Kraków in southern Poland. From Neolithic times, sodium chloride (table salt) was produced there from the upwelling brine. The Wieliczka salt ...
, control and ownership of which was shared jointly by Austria and
Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
due to the frontier changes of 1807. During this period von Herder had the opportunity to undertake a succession of information gathering trips, visiting working mining installations in
Styria Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. With an area of , Styria is the second largest state of Austria, after Lower Austria. Styria is bordered to ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croat ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and th ...
, the southern part of what later became Belgium, France, the Rhineland and, closer to home, the Harz region. Through his travels he accumulated a large amount of valuable knowledge on mining and metallurgy. In 1811 he teamed up with Friedrich von Zedtwitz to develop a strategic plan for improving the mines in "Poland". In recognition, the king conferred a
Barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
on him in 1816. He continued to be engaged in negotiations over regulating the still jointly controlled
Wieliczka Salt Mine The Wieliczka Salt Mine ( pl, Kopalnia soli Wieliczka) is a salt mine in the town of Wieliczka, near Kraków in southern Poland. From Neolithic times, sodium chloride (table salt) was produced there from the upwelling brine. The Wieliczka salt ...
, but negotiations were repeatedly delayed or postponed. The
Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...
ended with a the establishment new European order which involved a major expansion of
Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was '' de facto'' dissolved by an ...
n power and territory. That reflected a determination on the part of the victorious governments to create an effective military bulwark against the dangers of any further attempt by some future French emperor to take over in Europe. Much of the territory awarded to Prussia in 1815 had previously been part of the neighbouring
Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...
. The Saxon king had been taken prisoner by the Prussians in October 1813, and as a former ally of
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
had been debarred from participating in the discussions. Nevertheless, Prussian demands that Saxony should be wholly subsumed into an enlarged version of Prussia alarmed the
Austrians , pop = 8–8.5 million , regions = 7,427,759 , region1 = , pop1 = 684,184 , ref1 = , region2 = , pop2 = 345,620 , ref2 = , region3 = , pop3 = 197,990 , ref3 ...
. The
Kingdom of Saxony The Kingdom of Saxony (german: Königreich Sachsen), lasting from 1806 to 1918, was an independent member of a number of historical confederacies in Napoleonic through post-Napoleonic Germany. The kingdom was formed from the Electorate of Saxon ...
, though much diminished, was preserved, retaining
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as we ...
,
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth lar ...
and, importantly, the rich mining region in the south. In 1813, with the newly available insight that what remained of the
French imperial army French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
was not, after all, invincible, von Herder made his home near the Mining Academy at
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
and started work on an ambitious plan to rebuild and modernize the Saxon mining industry. In addition to the economic imperatives, there was also a socio-political dimension to the Saxon state making its presence felt among the mining communities in the Erzgebirgisch region. The Russian and Prussian armies, having inflicted a crushing defeat on
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
on Saxon territory, had shown little appetite for a rapid return to their northern and eastern homelands. Implementation of von Herder's plan was nevertheless under way by 1817. Many of the changes applied techniques that von Herder had studied during his visits to mines elsewhere in Europe over the preceding four years. They involved technical improvements, developing new tools and materials, using new machines, new methods for cutting into the rock face, new approaches to control and verification and a more rigorous approach to measurement. New smelting techniques were applied and efficiency was greatly improved through his insistence on the use of hard coal (rather than
brown coal Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is a soft, brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat. It has a carbon content around 25–35%, and is considered the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low hea ...
) to ensure sufficient heat for smelting. He also improved efficiency by applying a more systematic approach to mines management. A number of new enterprises were launched with von Herder's encouragement and backing. One of the most important was the Antonshütte smelting plant in the Schwarzwasser valley south of
Chemnitz Chemnitz (; from 1953 to 1990: Karl-Marx-Stadt , ) is the third-largest city in the German state of Saxony after Leipzig and Dresden. It is the 28th largest city of Germany as well as the fourth largest city in the area of former East Germany ...
. Probably his most ambitious project was one involving draining the mines in the entire Freiberg region with a shared underground channel, which aroused much interest from contemporary illuminati, including both
Alexander von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander von Humboldt (14 September 17696 May 1859) was a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, explorer, and proponent of Romantic philosophy and science. He was the younger brother of the Prussian minister, ...
and the mentor of his adolescence,
Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as tre ...
. The project was implemented only after his death, using for the most part von Herder's original plans, albeit 90 meters shorter and slightly shallower than his plans had envisaged. It has become known as the Rothschönberger Stolln. Von Herder also used his increasingly eminent position in the state apparatus to encourage and promote academic research. As a trustee of the
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
Mining Academy he devoted time and energy to the university, resulting in improvements to the quality of research and more stringent admission criteria for students. A particularly important cause that he backed, starting in 1821, was the "drop testing" employed originally by Christian Brendel and
Ferdinand Reich Ferdinand Reich (19 February 1799 – 27 April 1882) was a German chemist who co-discovered indium in 1863 with Hieronymous Theodor Richter. Reich was born in Bernburg and died in Freiberg. He was color blind Color blindness or color v ...
to test the earth's rotation, at the "Dreibrüderschacht" (deep shaft), just outside Freiberg. With Brendel's help he standardised the Saxon "Berglachter" measure at precisely two French meters. With Reich he made a series of observations on underground temperatures and on electrical currents through ore veins. In 1827 he launched the "Kalender für den Sächsischen Berg- und Hüttenmann" (as it was initially known), a mining industry year book filled with statistics and scientific-technical articles: it was published at his instigation by the
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
Mining Academy. It is not entirely surprising that a son of
Johann Gottfried von Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder ( , ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the Enlightenment, ''Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. Biography Born in Mohrun ...
should have been a lover of music and poetry. He promoted with enthusiasm the sharing and performing of mining songs. With his encouragement the Freiberg "Berghautboisten-Corps" (''literally, "Miners' Oboists' Band"'') was transformed for the better during the 1820s. He took a memorable initiative in 1824 by introducing "Russian horns" to the band. He had a particular passion for parading through the surrounding mountains in splendid ceremonial attire. During his final years the king even allowed him to wear a ceremonial sabre adorned with 108 "diamonds" as part of his own uniform. The sabre had been a present from Prince Miloš Obrenović of Serbia during a lengthy visit Herder had undertaken to Serbia, at the prince's invitation, to study and report on the geological conditions and the mining operations there. During his visit to Serbia Herder was also responsible for a comprehensive upgrade of the thermal baths at
Vrnjačka Banja Vrnjačka Banja ( sr-cyr, Врњачка Бања) is a town and municipality located in the Raška District of central Serbia. The population of the town is 10,065 inhabitants, while the population of the municipality is 27,527 inhabitants. Vrnja ...
. It was also at Herder's instigation that the "Bergmusikverein" (''"Mines Music Association"'') was founded in Freiberg in 1829. During his 1835 stay in Serbia, August von Herder fell ill with an acute rheumatic disorder. A cure at the thermal resort of Karlsbad brought little respite from his suffering. At the end of 1837 he travelled to
Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth lar ...
to be treated for an intestinal disorder. and died on 29 January 1838, a few days before he had been scheduled to undergo an operation. In accordance with his last wishes, the body of the "friend to al the miners" was buried on the edge of the waste heap from the "Three Kings Mine" just outside
Freiberg Freiberg is a university and former mining town in Saxony, Germany. It is a so-called ''Große Kreisstadt'' (large county town) and the administrative centre of Mittelsachsen district. Its historic town centre has been placed under heritage ...
. The burial was preceded by a ceremonial night-time procession. An appropriately impressive memorial, based on a design by Eduard Heuchler, was placed over the grave.


Family

August von Herder married Susanne Sophie Berger at Schneeberg on 17 June 1805. The bride, born Susanne Sophie Hähnel, was the widow of a protestant church minister. The geologist-politician Eugen Wolfgang von Herder (1810–1853) was the couple's only child, as far as is known.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Herder, August von 19th-century German geologists People from Bückeburg 1776 births 1838 deaths Johann Gottfried Herder