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Adolf Overweg (24 July 1822 – 27 September 1852) was a German
Adolf Overweg (24 July 1822 – 27 September 1852) was a German astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses their studies on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. They observe astronomical objects such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies – in either ...
, 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, althou ...
, and explorer of Africa. As a member of a mission to fix trade routes in Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Co ...
he became the first person of European origin to circumnavigate Lake Chad
Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme ...
by boat.
In 1849, he joined a three-man expedition under the command of James Richardson and Heinrich Barth. They set to leave Tripoli in the spring of 1850 to help the British government forge relations with central African kingdoms and explore unknown territory there. They crossed the Sahara
, photo = Sahara real color.jpg
, photo_caption = The Sahara taken by Apollo 17 astronauts, 1972
, map =
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carrying a boat on the backs of camels, splitting up in 1851 with Overweg trekking by route of Zinder to Kukawa
Kukawa (previously Kuka) is a town and Local Government Area in the northeastern Nigerian state of Borno, close to Lake Chad.
The town was founded in 1814 as capital of the Kanem-Bornu Empire by the Muslim scholar and warlord Muhammad al-Amin a ...
. After 18 months of exploring the Adamawa Emirate, Benue River
The Benue River (french: la Bénoué), previously known as the Chadda River or Tchadda, is the major tributary of the Niger River. The river is approximately long and is almost entirely navigable during the summer months. The size of its bas ...
, and finally completing his most notable feat of circumnavigating Lake Chad
Lake Chad (french: Lac Tchad) is a historically large, shallow, endorheic lake in Central Africa, which has varied in size over the centuries. According to the ''Global Resource Information Database'' of the United Nations Environment Programme ...
, he died of an unknown illness in Maduari after swimming in cold waters.
Barth and Overweg were close friends. Barth wrote of Overweg's great talents as a scientist and observer, but his lack of discipline in keeping orderly notes, and his youthful disregard for his own safety doomed him to obscurity and an early death in the prime of his youth.
References
1822 births 1852 deaths German explorers of Africa 19th-century German geologists 19th-century German astronomers Scientists from Hamburg University of Bonn alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni {{geologist-stub