Alfredo Jahn
Encyclopedia
Dr. Alfredo Jahn Hartman (October 8, 1867 – July 12, 1940) was a Venezuela
n civil engineer
, botanist and geographer
. Jahn was a member of the Academy of History, the Academy of Physical Sciences, Mathematics
and Naturalist of Venezuela and the Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences and achieved the Order of the Liberator
. He was also an explorer and mountain climber. There is a large cave named after Jahn, "Cueva Alfredo Jahn" (The Alfredo Jahn cave). In 1911 he became the first person to ascend
Pico Humboldt
in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida
in Venezuela.
, Saxony province, where he received military training. In 1882 he went to Berlin to continue his education for a short time, returning again to the Hannover School of Engineering.
For family reasons he was forced to return to Caracas, where he continued studies at the Universidad Central de Venezuela
, where he majored in natural sciences under the leadership of Adolf Ernst
.
On July 25, 1891 he married Aurelia Lopez. They had a total of 10 children.
with extension to San Carlos
. As a Civil Engineer, he worked with civil engineer and lawyer German Jimenez in the National Plan of Highways and Railroads of Venezuela
by order of the National Government. He was responsible for the construction of the railroad from Caracas
to Valencia. He also built the highway from Caracas to El Junquito.
In 1887 he accompanied the Venezuelan chemist Vicente Marcano on a scientific expedition to the upper Orinoco
river, sent by President Antonio Guzmán Blanco
. The trip provided geographical positions and a collection of plants and archaeological objects found today in the US and Germany.
As a geographer
he identified the rise of the Lake of Valencia
and all its river basin hidrografica (all the rivers that falls in) and determined all the heights of the mountain range of the coast. He lived with the Orinoco
Indians of the West of Venezuela and wrote books on their customs and dialects. As a botanist
he classified many plants in Venezuela, donated botanical samples to the Smithsonian Institution
, and wrote a book on the Palms
of Venezuela (the Palms of the Flora Venezuelana - Caracas 1908).
He was a founding member of the Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales (Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences), and its President in 1935 and 1937. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hamburg
, and the Medal of the Berlin Geographical Society. He received the Order of the Liberator
. The Alfredo Jahn Cave in Miranda
is named for him; it is the sixth largest in the country.
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Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
n civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
, botanist and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
. Jahn was a member of the Academy of History, the Academy of Physical Sciences, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and Naturalist of Venezuela and the Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences and achieved the Order of the Liberator
Order of the Liberator
The Order of the Liberator is the highest distinction of Venezuela and is appointed for services to the country, outstading merit and benefits made to the community. For Venezuelans the order ranks first from other orders, national and foreign....
. He was also an explorer and mountain climber. There is a large cave named after Jahn, "Cueva Alfredo Jahn" (The Alfredo Jahn cave). In 1911 he became the first person to ascend
First ascent
In climbing, a first ascent is the first successful, documented attainment of the top of a mountain, or the first to follow a particular climbing route...
Pico Humboldt
Pico Humboldt
Pico Humboldt is Venezuela's second highest peak, at 4,940 metres above sea level. It is located in the Sierra Nevada de Merida, in the Venezuelan Andes of...
in the Sierra Nevada de Mérida
Sierra Nevada de Mérida
The Sierra Nevada de Mérida is the highest mountain range in the largest massif in Venezuela, the Cordillera de Mérida, which in turn is part of the northern extent of the Cordillera de los Andes...
in Venezuela.
Background and personal life
Hartman was the son of Alfredo Federico Jahn (Friedrich Gottfried Alfred Jahn Wassmann), born in Caracas on June 10, 1846, and Eugenia Hartmann, born in Bremen, Germany on July 8, 1847. In 1876 he was taken to Hanover, Germany, and entered the Secondary School of the locality. He continued studies at TorgauTorgau
Torgau is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.Outside Germany, the town is most well known as the place where during the Second World War, United States Army forces coming from the west met with forces of the Soviet Union...
, Saxony province, where he received military training. In 1882 he went to Berlin to continue his education for a short time, returning again to the Hannover School of Engineering.
For family reasons he was forced to return to Caracas, where he continued studies at the Universidad Central de Venezuela
Central University of Venezuela
The Central University of Venezuela is a premier public University of Venezuela located in Caracas...
, where he majored in natural sciences under the leadership of Adolf Ernst
Adolf Ernst
Adolf Ernst was a Prussian born scientist. Ernst settled in Venezuela in 1861, where he taught at the Central University of Venezuela...
.
On July 25, 1891 he married Aurelia Lopez. They had a total of 10 children.
- Maria Aurelia Jahn Lopez born in Caracas on June 13, 1892
- Eugenia Jahn Lopez born in Maracay on August 23, 1893
- Alfredo Jahn Lopez born in La Victoria on April 4, 1895
- Gustavo Jahn Lopez born in La Victoria on July 25, 1896
- Margarita Jahn Lopez born in La Victoria on October 6, 1898
- Carlos Jahn Lopez born in La Victoria on December 19, 1899
- Luisa Cristina Jahn Lopez born in La Victoria on June 21, 1901
- Carmen Jahn Lopez born in Caracas on January 31, 1904
- Angelina Jahn Lopez born in Caracas on May 27, 1905
- Isabel Jahn Lopez born in Caracas on January 30, 1910
Career
Jahn finished his studies at the end of 1886, and became an assistant engineer on railway construction. The following year, he participated in the preliminary studies for the construction of a major railroad between Caracas and ValenciaValencia, Venezuela
Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela.The city is an economic hub that contains Venezuela's top industries and manufacturing companies. The population of Valencia reached some 1.5 million in the year 2003, and it is expected to grow dramatically...
with extension to San Carlos
San Carlos, Cojedes
San Carlos is the capital of the Venezuelan state of Cojedes. This city is also the shire town of the San Carlos Municipality and, according to the 2001 Venezuelan census, the municipality has a population of 83,957.- History :...
. As a Civil Engineer, he worked with civil engineer and lawyer German Jimenez in the National Plan of Highways and Railroads of Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
by order of the National Government. He was responsible for the construction of the railroad from Caracas
Caracas
Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range...
to Valencia. He also built the highway from Caracas to El Junquito.
In 1887 he accompanied the Venezuelan chemist Vicente Marcano on a scientific expedition to the upper Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
river, sent by President Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Guzmán Blanco
Antonio Leocadio Guzmán Blanco was President of Venezuela for three separate terms, from 1870–1877, from 1879–1884, and from 1886–1887....
. The trip provided geographical positions and a collection of plants and archaeological objects found today in the US and Germany.
As a geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
he identified the rise of the Lake of Valencia
Lake Valencia
Lake Valencia is the third largest lake in Venezuela, exceeded in size only by Lake Maracaibo and Lake Guri. It occupies one of the so-called Aragua valleys, enclosed between the parallel mountain ranges of the Cordillera de la Costa, the Maritime Andes. One part is within the limits of Carabobo...
and all its river basin hidrografica (all the rivers that falls in) and determined all the heights of the mountain range of the coast. He lived with the Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
Indians of the West of Venezuela and wrote books on their customs and dialects. As a botanist
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
he classified many plants in Venezuela, donated botanical samples to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, and wrote a book on the Palms
Arecaceae
Arecaceae or Palmae , are a family of flowering plants, the only family in the monocot order Arecales. There are roughly 202 currently known genera with around 2600 species, most of which are restricted to tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate climates...
of Venezuela (the Palms of the Flora Venezuelana - Caracas 1908).
He was a founding member of the Sociedad Venezolana de Ciencias Naturales (Venezuelan Society of Natural Sciences), and its President in 1935 and 1937. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
, and the Medal of the Berlin Geographical Society. He received the Order of the Liberator
Order of the Liberator
The Order of the Liberator is the highest distinction of Venezuela and is appointed for services to the country, outstading merit and benefits made to the community. For Venezuelans the order ranks first from other orders, national and foreign....
. The Alfredo Jahn Cave in Miranda
Miranda (state)
Miranda State is one of the 23 states into which Venezuela is divided. It is ranked second in population among Venezuelan states, after Zulia State. In June 30, 2010, it had approximately 2,987,968 residents. It also has the greatest Human Development Index in Venezuela, according to the...
is named for him; it is the sixth largest in the country.
External links
Alfredo Jahn - Venciclopedia- Tribute to Papa Jahn - maintained by his great grandson
- Una carrera de 60 años
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