Karl Friedrich Vollrath Hoffmann (15 July 1796, in
Stargard
Stargard (; 1945: ''Starogród'', 1950–2016: ''Stargard Szczeciński''; formerly German language, German: ''Stargard in Pommern'', or ''Stargard an der Ihna''; csb, Stôrgard) is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian V ...
– 30 August 1842, in
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
) was a German
geographer.
He studied at the
University of Berlin, and afterwards taught classes in
Philipp Emanuel von Fellenberg's institute (
Hofwyl College). Later on, he was named director of
Cotta's geographical institute in Stuttgart. In 1829 he obtained his
habilitation
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including a ...
and served as a lecturer at the
University of Munich. Due to outspoken remarks regarding
Catholicism, he lost his position at Munich and subsequently returned to Stuttgart.
[Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon]
Zeno.org
With
Alexander von Humboldt and
Heinrich Berghaus
Heinrich Karl Wilhelm Berghaus (3 May 1797 – 17 February 1884) was a German geographer and cartographer who conducted trigonometric surveys in Prussia and taught geodesy at the Bauakademie in Berlin. He taught cartography and produced a pioneer ...
, he was editor of the geographical journal "''Annalen der erd, völker- und staatenkunde''". Hoffmann, an “energetically active pedagogical nature”, is one of the important popularizers of geography in the 19th century in Germany. He also emerged as a critic of the Christian mission, denouncing its “ill-considered conversion fury” overseas.
Selected works
* ''Ueber die Zerstörung der Römerstädte am Rhein zwischen Lahn und Wied'', (2nd edition, 1823) – On the destruction of the Roman cities on the
Rhine between
Lahn and
Wied.
* ''Umrisse zur Erd- und Staatenkunde vom Lande der Deutschen'', (1823).
* ''Deutschland und seine Bewohner: Ein Handbuch der Vaterlandskunde für alle Stände'', (1834–36, 4 volumes) – Germany and its inhabitants.
* ''Die Erde und ihre Bewohner: Ein Hand- und Lesebuch für alle Stände'', (4th edition, 1835) – The Earth and its inhabitants.
* ''Europa und seine Bewohner: Ein Hand- und Lesebuch für alle Stände'', (1835–40, 8 volumes) – Europe and its inhabitants.
* ''Die Völker der Erde, ihr Leben, ihre Sitten und Gebräuche'', (1840, 2 volumes) – The peoples of the world, their lives, their manners and customs.
* ''Hertha, Einleitung in die Erdkunde'', (1840–41, 2 volumes) – "
Hertha", introduction to geography.
[Karl Friedrich Vollrath Hoffmann]
de.Wikisource
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoffmann, Karl Friedrich Vollrath
1796 births
1842 deaths
People from Stargard County
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
German geographers