Georg Forster: Difference between revisions
rv - in fact it was but we're not talking about the "cattle" sentence, are we? |
m both Prussia's Bismarck and Nazi Reich believed Poles to be animals-just like Forster.Also both states believed Poles to be inferior culture-again just like Forster. |
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After the death of Forser his works, except for the professional circles, were almost completely forgotten which was partly due to his involvement in the [[French revolution]]. However, his reception was changing with the changes in politics. |
After the death of Forser his works, except for the professional circles, were almost completely forgotten which was partly due to his involvement in the [[French revolution]]. However, his reception was changing with the changes in politics. |
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In the time of nationalism after the Napoleon times he was regarded in Germany as a "traitor of the nation" notably among the literats and scientists. This attitude rose even though the philosopher [[Friedrich Schlegel]] at the beginning of 19th century wrote about Forster: "Among all the real writers no one breathes so much the spirit of free progression as Georg Forster“. In the Germany of [[Wilhelm II of Germany|Wilhelm II]] and first of all in the [[Third Reich]] his memory was ostracized. [[East Germany|GDR]], in turn, profited from his memory and tried to connect him as a scientist and revolutionist to its tradition. For instance, that is why the GDR research station on [[Antarctica]] was given Forster's name on July 1st, 1987. The search of democratic traditions in the German history led also to a more diversified picture of him in [[West Germany]]. His reputation as one of first and one of the most outstanding German [[ethnology|ethnologist]] is indisputable. His works testify that he developed ethnology in Germany so that it could stand as a separate branch of science. |
In the time of nationalism after the Napoleon times he was regarded in Germany as a "traitor of the nation" notably among the literats and scientists. This attitude rose even though the philosopher [[Friedrich Schlegel]] at the beginning of 19th century wrote about Forster: "Among all the real writers no one breathes so much the spirit of free progression as Georg Forster“. In the Germany of [[Wilhelm II of Germany|Wilhelm II]] and first of all in the [[Third Reich]] his memory was ostracized, despite the fact that both states persecuted Poles using stereotypes expressed by Forster. [[East Germany|GDR]], in turn, profited from his memory and tried to connect him as a scientist and revolutionist to its tradition. For instance, that is why the GDR research station on [[Antarctica]] was given Forster's name on July 1st, 1987. The search of democratic traditions in the German history led also to a more diversified picture of him in [[West Germany]]. His reputation as one of first and one of the most outstanding German [[ethnology|ethnologist]] is indisputable. His works testify that he developed ethnology in Germany so that it could stand as a separate branch of science. |
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In [[Botanics]], the standard [[Binomial nomenclature#Authorship in scientific names|botanical author abbreviation]] '''G.Forst.''' is applied to [[plants]] described by him. |
In [[Botanics]], the standard [[Binomial nomenclature#Authorship in scientific names|botanical author abbreviation]] '''G.Forst.''' is applied to [[plants]] described by him. |
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Revision as of 18:19, 25 October 2005
Johann Georg Adam Forster (November 26, 1754 – January 10, 1794) was a German botanical collector, artist, and revolutionist. He took part in James Cook's second expedition to the Pacific.
Biography
Georg Forster was born in Poland in the small village of Mokry Dwór (Nassenhuben in German), near Gdańsk (Danzig) in the Polish province of Royal Prussia. He was the first child of Johann Reinhold Forster and Justina Elisabeth. His father was a naturalist, scientist and a lutheran pastor. As a result of the scientific avocation, his father appointed by Russian tsar set out for a research journey to Russia in 1765. Ten years old Georg joined him in the voyage. They reached Kirghiz steppe at the lower Volga. The young Forster learned there how to conduct research in the nature sciences and how to practise cartography. He also taught himself Russian there. A report from the journey was refused by tsar so Forsters had to move and they settled in England in 1766. The father took up teaching and translation there. The young Forster, in his thirteens, published a translation of Lomonosov's history of Russia which gained good acceptance in scientific circles.
In 1772 Johann Forster became a member of The Royal Society. This resulted in his invitation to James Cook's second expedition to the Pacific (1772–75). Georg Forster joined his father in the expedition. They embarked on the board of the HMS Resolution. Throughout the whole journey, both Forsters took down detailed notes in their scientific diaries. The relations between them and captain Cook together with his officers were problematic, though. This was a result of both Prussian pride of Forsters and justifiable feeling of independence on one hand and captain Cook's need to warrant orderly course of the journey on the other hand. These conflicts continued after the journey when the problem of who should write the official account of the travel arised. Later, the young Forster published an account of the voyage entitled A Voyage round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years, 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (1777).
Both Forsters published travel descriptions to the South Sea in the Magazin von merkwürdigen neuen Reisebeschreibungen ("Magazine of notable new travel accounts") in Berlin; and Georg, a translation of "A Voyage to the South Sea, by Lieutenant William Bligh, London 1792" in 1791 and 1793. The innovative descriptions of those travels were the basis for many books and films, like Mutiny on the Bounty.
On initiative of Komisja Edukacji Narodowej, Forster became Professor of Natural History at Wilno University in 1784 (upon his return to the Continent). Despite his notable scientific record he was not accepted well in Wilno. His famous speech on natural history from 1785 went unnoticed and was not printed before 1843. He broke the contract 6 years short of its completion, after Catherine II of Russia gave him an offer to take part in a journey around the world for a high honorarium. This resulted in a conflict between Forster and Jędrzej Śniadecki. However, the Russian proposal was withdrawn and Forster left Wilno. He settled in Mainz where he took up the job in the university library. In 1790 he made a tour of the Rhine with Alexander von Humboldt. This resulted in a book Ansichten von Niederrhein, von Brabant, Flandern, Hollandd, England und Frankreich. He expressed support for the French Revolution, was expelled from Germany as a traitor and died in poverty in Paris.
Forster's heritage
 | The neutrality of this section is disputed. |
After the death of Forser his works, except for the professional circles, were almost completely forgotten which was partly due to his involvement in the French revolution. However, his reception was changing with the changes in politics.
In the time of nationalism after the Napoleon times he was regarded in Germany as a "traitor of the nation" notably among the literats and scientists. This attitude rose even though the philosopher Friedrich Schlegel at the beginning of 19th century wrote about Forster: "Among all the real writers no one breathes so much the spirit of free progression as Georg Forster“. In the Germany of Wilhelm II and first of all in the Third Reich his memory was ostracized, despite the fact that both states persecuted Poles using stereotypes expressed by Forster. GDR, in turn, profited from his memory and tried to connect him as a scientist and revolutionist to its tradition. For instance, that is why the GDR research station on Antarctica was given Forster's name on July 1st, 1987. The search of democratic traditions in the German history led also to a more diversified picture of him in West Germany. His reputation as one of first and one of the most outstanding German ethnologist is indisputable. His works testify that he developed ethnology in Germany so that it could stand as a separate branch of science.
In Botanics, the standard botanical author abbreviation G.Forst. is applied to plants described by him.
Despite his Scottish roots and being born in Polish Royal Prussia, Forster was of German heritage and he considered himself as such. He also expressed extreme anti-Polish views [1], describing Poles scathingly in his private letters [2] (e.g. calling Poles "cattle in human form"[3]), thus being one of the precursors of traditional antipolonism in Prussia. He was also the author of anti-Polish term"Polnische Wirtschaft" stereotype [4], that he used in one of his letters in 1784, and which found wide usage in German culture.
Bibliography
- A Voyage round the World in His Britannic Majesty's Sloop Resolution, Commanded by Capt. James Cook, during the Years, 1772, 3, 4, and 5 (1777)
- Journal of travels in Poland (August-November, 1784), The Warsaw Voice, 1990 31 8-9
- Dissertatio botanico-medica de plantis esculentis insularum oceani Australis (1785)
- Essays on the moral and natural geography, natural history and phylosophy (1789-1797)
- Views of the Lower Rhine, Brabant, Flanders (three volumes, 1791-1794)
- Letters (posthumous compilation of his correspondence, 1828)
References
^ Lawaty, Andreas, „Polnische Wirtschaft“ und „deutsche Ordnung“: Nachbarbilder und ihr Eigenleben, in: Der Fremde, Interdisziplinäre Beiträge zu Aspekten von Fremdheit, Hg. Bernhard Oestreich, Peter Lang Verlag 2003, p. 156–166.
^ Bömelburg, Hans-Jürgen, Georg Forster und das negative deutsche Polenbild. Ein Kosmopolit als Architekt von nationalen Feindbildern?, in: Mainzer Geschichtsblätter 8 (1993), p. 79-90.
^ Stasiewski, Bernhard, "Polnische Wirtschaft" und Johann Georg Forster, eine wortgeschichtliche Studie., in: Deutsche Wissenschaftliche Zeitschrift im Wartheland 2 (1941), H. 3/4, p. 207-216.
^ Krause, Hans-Thomas, Georg Forster und Polen. In: Georg Forster (1754-1794). Ein Leben für den wissenschaftlichen und politischen Fortschritt, in: Wissenschaftliche Beiträge der Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg T 42, Beiträge zur Universitätsgeschichte). Halle/S. 1981, p. 79-85.
^ Books books (accessed on September 1st, 2005). In the review of: "Czarna legenda Polski: Obraz Polski i Polaków w Prusach 1772-1815" (The black legend of Poland: the image of Poland and Poles in Prussia between 1772-1815), by Dariusz Łukasiewicz. Poznań: Wydawnictwo Poznańskiego Towarzystwa Przyjaciół Nauk, 1995. Vol. 51 of the history and social sciences series (English and German summaries). ISBN 8370631487.