Ludwig Ritter von Höhnel (6 August 1857,
Preßburg – 23 March 1942, Vienna) was an
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n naval officer and
explorer
Exploration refers to the historical practice of discovering remote lands. It is studied by geographers and historians.
Two major eras of exploration occurred in human history: one of convergence, and one of divergence. The first, covering most ...
. He was trained at the
naval academy
A naval academy provides education for prospective naval officers.
See also
* Military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally pro ...
in
Fiume
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
, then part of the Austrian empire. His brother was the naturalist
Franz Xaver Rudolf von Höhnel
Franz Xaver Rudolf von Höhnel (24 September 1852 – 11 November 1920) was an Austrian bryologist, mycologist, and algologist, brother of explorer Ludwig von Höhnel (1857–1942).Ronald E. Coons and Pascal James Imperato, eds. ''Over Lan ...
(1852–1920).
Journey with Teleki 1887–1888
Höhnel was the second-in-command of
Count Sámuel Teleki von Szek's expedition to Northern
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
in 1887–1888. He and Teleki were the first Europeans to see
Lake Turkana
Lake Turkana (), formerly known as Lake Rudolf, is a lake in the Kenyan Rift Valley, in northern Kenya, with its far northern end crossing into Ethiopia. It is the world's largest permanent desert lake and the world's largest alkaline lake. B ...
, which they named Lake Rudolf after the expedition's patron
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria
en, Rudolph Francis Charles Joseph
, caption = Rudolf in 1887
, spouse =
, issue = Elisabeth Marie, Princess Otto of Windisch-Graetz
, house = Habsburg-Lorraine
, father = Franz Joseph I of Austria
, mother ...
, and also
Lake Stefanie, named after Prince Rudolf's wife
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium
Princess Stéphanie Clotilde Louise Herminie Marie Charlotte of Belgium (21 May 1864 – 23 August 1945) was a Belgian princess who became Crown Princess of Austria through marriage to Crown Prince Rudolf, heir to the throne of the Austro-Hu ...
. Höhnel acted as the expedition's
cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
, scientist, and diarist. Teleki and Höhnel made numerous observations on the climate, flora, and fauna of the territories visited and collected more than 400
ethnographic
Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...
al objects, most of them from
Maasai Maasai may refer to:
* Maasai people
*Maasai language
* Maasai mythology
* MAASAI (band)
See also
* Masai (disambiguation)
* Massai
Massai (also known as: Masai, Massey, Massi, Mah–sii, Massa, Wasse, Wassil or by the nickname "Big Foot" Mas ...
and
Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language.
It may also refer to:
* Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya
*Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people
*Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Cent ...
tribes. Their observations provided important contribution to ethnographical knowledge. The scientific results of the journey were published by Höhnel in several articles and in a book written in German and translated into Hungarian and English, titled ''The Discovery of Lakes Rudolf and Stefanie'' (1892). In 1892 Höhnel was awarded the
Carl Ritter Medal (silver) "for a first successful pioneering trip and for
ismeritorious geographic performance." The East African
chameleon
Chameleons or chamaeleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of Old World lizards with 202 species described as of June 2015. The members of this family are best known for their distinct range of colors, bein ...
, known as Höhnel's Chameleon (''
Trioceros hoehnelii
''Trioceros hoehnelii'', commonly known as von Höhnel's chameleon, the helmeted chameleon, and the high-casqued chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to eastern Africa.
Etymology
...
'') was named after Ludwig von Höhnel.
Journey with Chanler 1892–1894
Between 1892 and 1894, Höhnel explored the territory in the vicinity of
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...
with
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
magnate
William Astor Chanler.
They proceeded inland from the coast, mapping the north-eastern part of the
Mount Kenya
Mount Kenya (Kikuyu: ''Kĩrĩnyaga'', Kamba, ''Ki Nyaa'') is the highest mountain in Kenya and the second-highest in Africa, after Kilimanjaro. The highest peaks of the mountain are Batian (), Nelion () and Point Lenana (). Mount Kenya is locat ...
massif, the
Guasso Nyiro River, the
Lorian Swamp
The Lorian Swamp is an area of wetlands on the Ewaso Ngiro river in Wajir South, Kenya.
The swampy zone is long and has a greatest width of , covering an area of .
Apart from the Ewaso Ngiro river, the swamp is also fed by wadis from the south ...
, the
Tana River,
Lake Rudolph and then
Lake Stefanie. They were the first westerners to come into contact with the
Tigania, the
Igembe Meru and the
Rendille people
The Rendille (also known as Rendille, Reendile, Rendili, Randali, Randile, and Randille) are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting the northern Eastern Province of Kenya.
Etymology
The ethnonym ''Rendille'' translates as "Holders of the S ...
in this region (
Carl Peters
Carl Peters (27 September 1856 – 10 September 1918), was a German colonial ruler, explorer, politician and author and a major promoter of the establishment of the German colony of East Africa (part of the modern republic Tanzania).
Life
H ...
had passed to the south in 1889). On 30 January 1893, they were attacked by some 200 warriors of the Wamsara (a subgroup of the Meru), who retreated after killing three porters. The expedition was eventually stranded in what is now the
Meru North District Meru North District was one of the unconstitutionally created districts of Kenya, located in that country's Eastern Province. In 1992, it was split from the large Meru District, along with Meru Central District, Meru South District (Nithi), and ...
of
Kenya
)
, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Nairobi
, coordinates =
, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
because of the death of all of its 165 pack animals (probably due to
trypanosomiasis
Trypanosomiasis or trypanosomosis is the name of several diseases in vertebrates caused by parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus ''Trypanosoma''. In humans this includes African trypanosomiasis and Chagas disease. A number of other diseas ...
) and the desertion of many of the 200 porters. On 24 August 1893, Höhnel was gored by a rhinoceros in the groin and lower abdomen
and was forced to leave Chanler and return to
Zanzibar
Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islands ...
and then
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, arriving in February 1894. Out of about five hundred photos taken during the journey, 155 photographs taken by Höhnel have survived.
Later life
After recovering from his injuries, Höhnel became an officer on board the
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
br>
SMS Donau and traveled in 1897 to the Mediterranean and along the coast of West Africa south to
Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, then across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, and to New York and
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
. During the trip, the ship's captain suffered a heart attack and Höhnel was made provisional commandant until June 1898. Also on this voyage he met the future US president
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, who was then in his words the 'much feared'
police commissioner of New York. After this, Höhnel was assigned as
officer of the deck to the
central battery ship
The central battery ship, also known as a centre battery ship in the United Kingdom and as a casemate ship in European continental navies, was a development of the (high-freeboard) broadside ironclad of the 1860s, given a substantial boost due t ...
, whose executive officer was Commander
Anton Haus
Anton Johann Haus (13 June 1851 – 8 February 1917) was an Austrian naval officer. Despite his German surname, he was born to a Slovene language, Slovenian-speaking family in Tolmein (now Tolmin, Slovenia). Haus was fleet commander of the Austr ...
, the future commander of the
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...
.
In 1899 Höhnel became
Emperor Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
's
aide-de-camp and later (1905–09) led an official Austro-Hungarian delegation to Emperor
Menelik II of Ethiopia
, spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"''
, alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.)
Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 A ...
. He also commanded the Austro-Hungarian
torpedo-cruiser in a voyage to
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
and
Polynesia
Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
in the summer of 1905. Höhnel was instrumental in introducing the
chamois
The chamois (''Rupicapra rupicapra'') or Alpine chamois is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Alps, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the Ril ...
into
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, negotiating the acquisition in 1905 of six does and two bucks from
Neuberg in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
. They finally arrived in New Zealand on board the ''SMS Turakino'' in 1907. He was the commanding officer of the
armored cruiser
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast eno ...
and the commander of the navy yard in
Pula
Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...
.
In February 1907, he submitted a formal request to the navy for permission to marry Valeska von Ostéren (1870–1947) (permission was required as per Austrian naval regulations). However, permission was denied, because it was discovered that Valeska's brother had published an anti-
Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
novel in 1906 which had offended the powerful
Archduke Franz Ferdinand
Archduke Franz Ferdinand Carl Ludwig Joseph Maria of Austria, (18 December 1863 – 28 June 1914) was the heir presumptive to the throne of Austria-Hungary. His assassination in Sarajevo was the most immediate cause of World War I.
Fr ...
. Höhnel was eventually forced to choose between his marriage and his naval career. He married Valeska in August 1909 and subsequently resigned in the rank of captain. In 1912 he was promoted to
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
, probably in recognition of his duties as aide-de-camp to the emperor.
Post-naval career
Höhnel wrote an
autobiography
An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life.
It is a form of biography.
Definition
The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...
centered on the turbulent years preceding the fall of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, providing insights into African exploration, the
Austro-Hungarian Navy
The Austro-Hungarian Navy or Imperial and Royal War Navy (german: kaiserliche und königliche Kriegsmarine, in short ''k.u.k. Kriegsmarine'', hu, Császári és Királyi Haditengerészet) was the naval force of Austria-Hungary. Ships of the A ...
, and prominent personalities of the
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...
court, including Admiral
Hermann von Spaun
Hermann Freiherr von Spaun (9 May 1833 – 28 May 1919) was an admiral in the Austro-Hungarian Navy. He was the Commander-in-Chief of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from December 1897 to October 1904.
Background
Born into the Swabian noble family of Sp ...
, Admiral
Maximilian Daublebsky von Sterneck
Maximilian Daublebsky Freiherr von Sterneck zu Ehrenstein (14 February 1829 – 5 December 1897) was an Austrian admiral who served as the chief administrator of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from 1883 until his death.
Biography
He was born at Klagen ...
, and
Rudolf Montecuccoli
Rudolf Graf Montecuccoli degli Erri (22 February 1843-16 May 1922) was chief of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from 1904 to 1913 and largely responsible for the modernization of the fleet before the First World War.
Overview
Montecuccoli was born i ...
. The complete manuscript remained in the possession of the family of William Astor Chanler for many decades and was finally published in 2000.
Höhnel later wrote a 56-page account of his service as aide-de-camp to the
Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria
An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...
, which was never published.
He died in Vienna in March 1942, and is buried in the
Vienna Central Cemetery
The Vienna Central Cemetery (german: Wiener Zentralfriedhof) is one of the largest cemeteries in the world by number of interred, and is the most well-known cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries. The cemetery's name is descriptive of its ...
.
Legacy
Höhnel is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of chameleon, ''
Trioceros hoehnelii
''Trioceros hoehnelii'', commonly known as von Höhnel's chameleon, the helmeted chameleon, and the high-casqued chameleon, is a species of chameleon, a lizard in the family Chamaeleonidae. The species is endemic to eastern Africa.
Etymology
...
''. In 1958 the
Ludwig von Höhnel Lane in Vienna was named after him.
[Herbert Tschulk, ''Wiener Bezirkskulturführer Favoriten''. Jugend & Volk: Vienna, 1985.]
Publications
''Discovery of lakes Rudolf and Stefanie: a narrative of Count Samuel Teleki's exploring & hunting expedition in Eastern Equatorial Africa in 1887 & 1888,''translated by Nancy Bell. In 2 vols. (Longmans, 1896). Original in German: ''Zum Rudolph-See und Stephanie-See,'' 1892.
*''Over Land and Sea: Memoir of an Austrian Rear Admiral's Life in Europe and Africa, 1857–1909,'' ed. Ronald E. Coons and Pascal James Imperato; consulting ed. J. Winthrop Aldrich. New York and London: Holmes & Meier, 2000. Original in German: ''Mein Leben zur See, auf Forschungsreisen und bei Hofe,'' 1926.
Notes
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hoehnel, Ludwig Von
1857 births
1942 deaths
19th-century Austrian people
20th-century Austrian people
Austro-Hungarian Navy officers
Austrian explorers
Austrian knights
Austrian people of Hungarian descent
Explorers of Africa
Hungarian-German people
Military personnel from Bratislava