Summiteer
On 23 June 1802 Alexander von Humboldt’s hands were bleeding as he fought his way up the steep slope of the close to 6300 metres high Chimborazo in the Andes in today’s Ecuador. “Our guides were stiffened from the cold and have deserted us” noted Humboldt later in his diary. “They assured us that they would die from suffocation, despite looking at us full of compassion mere hours before, claiming that the Whites would not even make it to the snow line.” A misjudgment. Humboldt‘s description of the ascent gives a first detailed account of the symptoms of altitude sickness. Despite inappropriate footwear, clothing and equipment Humboldt and his companions Aimé Bonpland and Carlos Montúfar nearly reached the summit of the Chimborazo. 400 to 900 metres below the crater they had to turn around due to an impassable rock crevice. Never before had humans climbed higher. About 215 years later mountaineers failed at the same height of the Chimborazo, the highest mountain in Ecuador. Even though they had been better equipped and acclimatised and had an easier journey compared to Humboldt’s.
The combination of travelling and researching proved the ideal combination for Alexander von Humboldt. After his first travels in Europe 1789/90 he was able to – due to his inherited fortune – plan and prepare his dream: to travel to the tropics and explore as many aspects as possible in the inhabited and uninhabited nature. From 1799 to 1804 Humboldt and his companion Aimé Bonpland travelled through South and Middle America - from Spain via the Canary Island to Venezuela and Cuba, through the Andes to the Peruvian coast, to Mexico and Europe via the USA. This voyage was celebrated as the second the scientific discovery of South America. His 60th birthday Humboldt spent on his second great expedition in Russia. It took him via St. Petersburg, Moscow, Nischni and Nowgorod to Kasan. In Yekaterinburg he started his exploration of the Ural. Humboldt’s wish of crossing the Chinese borders and reaching Tibet could not be fulfilled. Just before Christmas, after a journey of 18.000 kilometres, Humboldt returned to Berlin.
Inventor
His imaginativeness and creative thinking made Humboldt not only a scientist but also an inventor. Between 1792 and 1897 he developed a “light-preserving lamp” as a mine manager in Franconia. For the invention of the mine lamp he conducted experiments underground and risked his own lives for his research purposes. Humboldt even fainted during one of his experiment. Eventually his concept worked: The lamp could be used after minor adjustments. Humboldt’s lamp was invented. Another invention was a kind of “rescue bottle” which facilitate the breathing in oxygen-poor situation. For this too Alexander used his own body as a test object and filled a room with health-damaging gases in order to test the breathing apparatus for functionality.
The polymath Humboldt occupied himself with numerous fields of research: from volcanology to geology, from cartography, earth magnetism, botany and zoology, ethnology and economics, agriculture and mining to astronomy, meteorology and marine science. Scientific disciplines such as physical geography, climatology and ecology and oceanography regard Humboldt as their founder.
The objective of his expeditions and research was to obtain all of the knowledge about the world and to thus understand the synergy between all the natural forces. His late works, the five-volume “Cosmos. A Sketch of a Physical Description of the Universe” is up to now unique in its holistic approach. His Cosmos Lectures at the University of Berlin were seen as the cultural highlight in 1826 in Berlin.
Initiator
Next to his role of being the founder of the nature conservancy movement and “ecology” Humboldt must also be named initiator of almost all nature historical disciplines. His notion to connect all scientific disciplines revolutionised the exchange between scientists of his time. Driven by the need of dissemination of knowledge Humboldt managed to bundle his accumulated knowledge. He made it available to different audiences. His research results should be accessible by all, scientist as well as citizens. Humboldt supported his vast network of relationships and established a worldwide interconnectedness through correspondences and interdisciplinary results exchange. In his time this exchange of information was unheard of until then.
Alexander von Humboldt was a global networker and a cosmopolite. He travelled the world, commuted between Paris and Berlin as he did between the arts and sciences, literature and politics. The same way Humboldt saw natural sciences interdisciplinary intertwined in a holistic approach, he wanted to connect people as well. His ideas did not just cross continents and oceans, but also social classes and scientific borders. He connected scientists of his time across political barriers and supported the exchange with unfamiliar cultures. He always saw science in interaction with people and advocated public access of education to citizens of all classes. His ideals of freedom and fraternity opened doors to unknown cultures. Today they show him as a role model as a scientist, but also a human.
Poineer
Today Alexander von Humboldt is seen as the pioneer for the 21st century, of the global cooperation and transdisciplinary research. He was a visionary. With his holistic view Humboldt founded the base for our understanding of a connected environment full of reciprocation. Already 200 years ago he established an integrated natural science in geology and biology and perceived the central role of humans. The uniqueness in Alexander von Humboldt is his sense for the overall context. After the division of the sciences in specialised single disciplines, his global-economic approach has gained significance again since the beginning of the 20th century.
„From half past two onwards one saw the most curious fire meteorites. Thousands of fireballs and shooting stars fell one after another, four hours long.” Thus, Alexander von Humboldt describes the Leonidensturm, which he and his companion Aimé Bonpland observed in November 1799 in Venezuela. Humboldt’s observations led to the realisation that this must be a periodical event. The Leonids (meteor showers) will be at their most spectacular only every 33 years when earth crosses the orbit of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. When the comet has hurried by, it leaves behind a fresh trail full of dust particles. The next big fireworks on the autumnal night sky will be expected in 2031. Yet Humboldt did not just observe the Leonids. Him and the mineralogist Gustav Rose were delighted to discover numerous meteorites on their travels through Siberia.
Adventurer
On 30 March 1800, Alexander von Humboldt and his companion Bonpland left for the heart of the rainforest of South America to unveil one of the biggest secrets of the New World – the mysterious jungle river Casiquiare. It is a daring expedition as Humboldt cannot swim. Also, other dangers lay in wait. Besides snakes and crocodiles, jaguars romp about in the underwood and bloodthirsty piranhas roam the river. What proves even more adventurous is the meal plan of both scientists. When they are invited to dinner by the indigenous, grilled monkey meat, ants and insects are on the menu. Even animals that were shot with poisoned arrows landed on Humboldt’s plate. Here he proved is bravery once more as he knew that the poison was only deadly if it reached his blood stream, to eat it was harmless. Another deadly danger he encountered: cannibals. Humboldt rarely recoiled from a culinary challenge, but if he tried human flesh remains a mystery. At least he has never mentioned it in his diary.