Karl Wien
Encyclopedia
Karl Wien (10 September 1906 - c. 14 June 1937) was a German
mountaineer
.
Born in Würzburg
, Wien was the son of university professor
Wilhelm Wien
, and became a lecturer himself in the geography
department of Munich University. His mountaineering career began in the Alps
, where with Willi Welzenbach he made the first ascent
of the north face of the Grossglockner. Outside Europe he made a number of visits to Africa
and the Himalaya, including Paul Bauer's 1931 attempt on Kangchenjunga
, and a 1936 expedition to Sikkim
during which he made the first ascent of Siniolchu
.
In 1937 Karl Wien was chosen to lead a German expedition to Nanga Parbat
, the first since ten climbers had died on the mountain in 1934. Some time between the 14th and 16th of June, Wien was camped with fifteen other climbers at Camp IV, below Rakhiot Peak
, when it was overwhelmed by a massive avalanche
. All sixteen men were killed in what remains the worst single disaster ever to occur on an eight thousand metre peak
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
.
Born in Würzburg
Würzburg
Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia which lies in the northern tip of Bavaria, Germany. Located at the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk Lower Franconia. The regional dialect is Franconian....
, Wien was the son of university professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Wilhelm Wien
Wilhelm Wien
Wilhelm Carl Werner Otto Fritz Franz Wien was a German physicist who, in 1893, used theories about heat and electromagnetism to deduce Wien's displacement law, which calculates the emission of a blackbody at any temperature from the emission at any one reference temperature.He also formulated an...
, and became a lecturer himself in the geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
department of Munich University. His mountaineering career began in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, where with Willi Welzenbach he made the first ascent
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...
of the north face of the Grossglockner. Outside Europe he made a number of visits to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and the Himalaya, including Paul Bauer's 1931 attempt on Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga
Kangchenjunga is the third highest mountain of the world with an elevation of and located along the India-Nepal border in the Himalayas.Kangchenjunga is also the name of the section of the Himalayas and means "The Five Treasures of Snows", as it contains five peaks, four of them over...
, and a 1936 expedition to Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
during which he made the first ascent of Siniolchu
Siniolchu
Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the Indian state of Sikkim. The mountain is considered to be a particularly beautiful mountain, having been described by Douglas Freshfield as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture and the most beautiful snow mountain in the world"...
.
In 1937 Karl Wien was chosen to lead a German expedition to Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat
Nanga Parbat is the ninth highest mountain on Earth, the second highest mountain in Pakistan and among the eight-thousanders with a summit elevation of 8,126 meters...
, the first since ten climbers had died on the mountain in 1934. Some time between the 14th and 16th of June, Wien was camped with fifteen other climbers at Camp IV, below Rakhiot Peak
Rakhiot Peak
Rakhiot Peak is a peak in the Himalaya range of the Northern Areas of Pakistan.It is one of the many subsidiary summits of the core of Nanga Parbat.-Location:It lies just south of the Indus River, in the Diamir District of the Northern Areas of Pakistan...
, when it was overwhelmed by a massive avalanche
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
. All sixteen men were killed in what remains the worst single disaster ever to occur on an eight thousand metre peak
Eight-thousander
The eight-thousanders are the fourteen independent mountains on Earth that are more than high above sea level. They are all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges in Asia....
.