Hermann von Barth (5 June 1845 – 7 December 1876) was a famous German
mountaineer.
Life and career
Hermann von Barth was born on 5 June 1845 at
Eurasburg Castle. He initially studied
law in
Munich, where he was affiliated to the Corps Franconia. As a junior lawyer he began in 1868 in Berchtesgaden to explore the still largely unconquered
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps (german: Berchtesgadener Alpen) are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre. The central part belongs to the Berchtesgadener Land district of southe ...
. From 1873 he studied natural sciences and, in 1876, deranged by fever, he committed
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
whilst on a research expedition in
Africa. He died on 7 December 1876 in
São Paulo de Loanda
Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seapo ...
, Portuguese
Angola.
Von Barth is most well known for his exploration of the
Karwendel mountains. In summer 1870 he climbed, alone, 88 peaks (12 for the first time, including the
Birkkarspitze,
Kaltwasserkarspitze
The Kaltwasserkarspitze is a mountain in the Hinterautal-Vomper Chain and, at m, is the fourth highest peak in the Karwendel mountains in Austria after the Birkkarspitze, Middle and Eastern Ödkarspitze. The Kaltwasserkarspitze is the eastern ne ...
,
Lalidererspitze,
Große Seekarspitze
Große or Grosse is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
*Demetrius Grosse
*Maurice Grosse
*Katharina Grosse
*Ben Grosse
*Hans-Werner Grosse
*Heinz-Josef Große
*Julius Grosse
{{surname
German-language surnames ...
,
Grubenkarspitze,
Dreizinkenspitze,
Eastern Karwendelspitze,
Vogelkarspitze,
Wörner,
Kuhkopf).
In 1871 he switched to the
Wetterstein mountains and was the first to climb many peaks there as well. By 1869 he had explored the
Allgäu Alps
The Allgäu Alps (german: Allgäuer Alpen) are a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, located in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Tyrol and Vorarlberg in Austria. The range lies directly east of Lake Constance.
Character ...
, climbing 44 summits, 3 of which were previously unconquered. He typically climbed alone.
In 1874 he published the book ''Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen'' ("From the Northern Limestone Alps"), in which he documented his experiences and tours. The work is viewed today as a classic amongst Alpine literature.
Legacy
The names of numerous mountain huts, trails, etc., are witness to the services of Hermann von Barth in opening up the Northern Limestone Alps:
* the Barthgrat (the crossing from the Katzenkopf to the
Middle Jägerkarspitze
Middle or The Middle may refer to:
* Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits.
Places
* Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man
* Middle Bay (disambiguation)
* Middle Brook (disambiguation)
* Middle Creek (d ...
(
III
III or iii may refer to:
Companies
* Information International, Inc., a computer technology company
* Innovative Interfaces, Inc., a library-software company
* 3i, formerly Investors in Industry, a British investment company
Other uses
* Ins ...
), Karwendel, first conquered by Barth, unaided and alone, in 1870);
* Barthspitze (Karwendel, named in his honour) and Barthkamin (Risser Falk, Karwendel, first climbed in 1870 by von Barth);
* the protected climb from the ''Meilerhütte'' hut on the
Partenkirchen Dreitorspitze is also called the Hermann von Barth Way.
File:Hermann von Barth.jpg, Hermann von Barth
File:Hermann von Barth Bergsteiger.jpg, Portrait in the mountains, from ''Gesammelte Schriften (between 1870 and 1876)
File:Hermann von Barth Denkmal.jpg, Hermann von Barth Monument in Kleiner Ahornboden, Karwendel
File:Barthgrat.jpg, The Barthgrat
References
Sources
*Rudolf Gombart, Paul Martin: ''Dem Bergsteiger und Afrikaforscher Dr. Hermann Frh. v. Barth zu Hamarting Franconiae München (xx,FM) zum Gedächtnis''. Einst und Jetzt 10 (1965), p. 143-145
* Hermann von Barth: ''Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen. Ersteigungen und Erlebnisse.'' Süddeutscher Verlag, München 1984, (out of print)
* Hermann von Barth: ''Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen; Ersteigungen und Erlebnisse in den Gebirgen Berchtesgadens, des Allgäu, des Innthales, des Isar-Quellengebietes und des Wettersteins; Mit erläuternden Beiträgen zur Orographie und Hypsometrie der Nördlichen Kalkalpen, Mit lythographierten Gebirgsprofilen und Horizontalprojectionen nach Original-Skizzen des Verfassers.'' Eduard Amthor, Gera 1874. XXIV, 637, 22 tables and 5 folding tables with several illustrations, (facsimile) Fines Mundi Verlag, Saarbrücken 2008
PDF, 86 MB* Carl Bünsch, Max Rohrer (Hrsg.): ''Gesammelte Schriften des Freiherrn Hermann von Barth.'' Alpine Verlagsanstalt, München 1926.
* Ewald Weiß: ''"Einsam auf einem Fels zu thronen". Das kometenhafte Leben des Hermann von Barth, Freiherr von und zu Harmating.'' In: ''Panorama.'' 6/2000. Deutscher Alpenverein e.V., p. 42–44,
Link* ''"Hermann von Barth (eine Auswahl)"'': Herausgegeben vom Hauptausschuss des Deutschen und Österreichischen Alpenvereins als erster Band der Reihe "Erschließer der Berge", München 1926
External links
Porträt Hermann von Barth in DAV Panorama Nr. 6/2000*
Liste der Erstbesteigungen (auszugsweise)Excerpts from publications
Bergruf.deDas vollständige Kapitel ''Berchtesgadener Alpen'' aus dem Buch ''Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen'' (1874) und mehr
Wanderpfa.deTourenberichte der ''Allgäuer Alpen'' aus dem Buch ''Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen'' und mehr
- Grubenkarspitze, Dreizinkenspitze, Laliderer Wand und Spitze, Bockkarspitze (aus dem Alpenfreund 1875)
- Birkkar-, Ödkar-, Marxenkar- und Seekarspitze (aus der Zeitschrift des Deutschen Alpenvereins 1870/71)
Der Grosse Karwendelspitz. Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen (1874), Gera 1874 S. 420 ff.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barth, Hermann Von
1845 births
1876 deaths
1870s suicides
People from Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen
People from the Kingdom of Bavaria
German mountain climbers
Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni
Suicides in Angola