Max Kämper (born December 16, 1879 in Jüterbog, † November 10, 1916 at

Sailly-Saillisel Sailly-Saillisel is a commune in the Somme department in Hauts-de-France in northern France. Geography The commune is situated some northeast of Amiens, on the N17 and D172 roads, close to the border with the Pas-de-Calais. History * Theatr ...

) was a German

mining engineer Mining in the engineering discipline is the extraction of minerals from underneath, open pit, above or on the ground. Mining engineering is associated with many other disciplines, such as mineral processing, exploration, excavation, geology, and ...

. His 1908 survey and map of Mammoth Cave,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, assisted by cave guide Ed Bishop, represent the first accurate instrumental survey of portions of the cave system. Kämper arrived at Mammoth Cave in 1908 and left 8 months later in 1909. Kämper was killed in trench warfare at the Somme River in north-eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, on November 10, 1916, during the closing days of the

Battle of the Somme The Battle of the Somme ( French: Bataille de la Somme), also known as the Somme offensive, was a battle of the First World War fought by the armies of the British Empire and French Third Republic against the German Empire. It took place bet ...

. He is buried in the War Cemetery of

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; pcd, Kimbré; nl, Kamerijk), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department and in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, regio ...

near

Arras Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department, which forms part of the regions of France, region of Hauts-de-France; before the regions of France#Reform and mergers of ...

References

External links

Max Kämper and the Mammoth Cave Connection
– (English and German) describes the search for and discovery of Max Kaemper's identity.

- With pictures and soundtracks about his story as well as his genealogy (English and German) 1879 births 1916 deaths Cavers Engineers from Brandenburg German military personnel killed in World War I German mining engineers Mammoth Cave National Park People from Jüterbog 20th-century German engineers German Army personnel of World War I {{Germany-engineer-stub