Franz Ewald Theodor Bachmann
Encyclopedia
Franz Ewald Theodor Bachmann (21 July 1856 Lisse nr Posen
- ca. 1916), was a medical practitioner and naturalist.
Bachmann studied in Breslau with Adolf Engler
and in Würzburg
where he was awarded an M.D.
in 1883. He arrived in the Cape on 4 July 1883 in the company of Friedrich Wilms
and disembarked while Wilms carried on to Durban
. Bachmann spent the next four years practising medicine in the Western Cape
, spending two years in Darling
and the remainder in Hopefield
. In November 1887 he left for Natal
aboard the Trojan and stayed for a year in Pondoland where he acted as agent for Berlinsche Pondo Gesellschaft, writing a report on the natural resources there and trying to acquire land for a German agricultural settlement, a venture which was never realised. He wrote an account of his experiences "Reisen, Erlebnisse und Beobachtungen in der Kapkolonie, Natal und Pondoland", published in 1901 in Berlin, but of scant botanical importance. His first trip went from Durban to Pietermaritzburg
, across the Ixopo and Umzimkulu River
s to Clydesdale Mission. His return route crossed the Ibisi River near Harding
where he called at the Marburg Mission before getting back to Durban via a boat from Port Shepstone.
His second journey started off on 15 January 1888 when he left on horseback from Marburg Mission with Conrad Beyrich. They went via Flagstaff to Lusikisiki, visiting Qawukeni or Qaukeni, the kraal
of the Paramount Chief of the Pondo
people. From there they went through to the Egossa Forest and on to Port St Johns. Establishing a camp at the ill-fated Port Grosvenor
, he made a short excursion to the Mateku Falls on a tributary of the Umsikaba River. He reached Durban in November 1888 and embarked on a boat calling at Port Elizabeth and Cape Town
en route to Berlin
where he arrived in January 1889.
Besides flowering plants he collected some fungi, lichens and mosses, and various natural history specimens. Insect collections, mainly Coleoptera made by him in Münster
, Breslau and Mähren
are conserved in Landesmuseum für Naturkunde Münster and insect collections made in Transvaal
are in Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin.
He is commemorated in the genus Bachmannia, Leonotis bachmannii, Struthiola bachmannii and Kniphofia bachmannii. He was living at Zurting am Elb in 1916, but his date of death is unknown.
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
- ca. 1916), was a medical practitioner and naturalist.
Bachmann studied in Breslau with Adolf Engler
Adolf Engler
Heinrich Gustav Adolf Engler was a German botanist. He is notable for his work on plant taxonomy and phytogeography, like Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien , edited with Karl A. E...
and 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....
where he was awarded an M.D.
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
in 1883. He arrived in the Cape on 4 July 1883 in the company of Friedrich Wilms
Friedrich Wilms
Friedrich Wilms , was a German apothecary, botanical collector and traveller....
and disembarked while Wilms carried on to Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
. Bachmann spent the next four years practising medicine in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
, spending two years in Darling
Darling, Western Cape
Darling is a small town in a farming area on the west coast region of the Western Cape, about 75 km from Cape Town.By the beginning of the 18th century about 29 farmers lived in an area called Groenkloof and on one of these farms, Langfontein, Darling was founded in 1853...
and the remainder in Hopefield
Hopefield, Western Cape
Hopefield is a settlement in West Coast District Municipality in the Western Cape province of South Africa....
. In November 1887 he left for Natal
Colony of Natal
The Colony of Natal was a British colony in south-eastern Africa. It was proclaimed a British colony on May 4, 1843 after the British government had annexed the Boer Republic of Natalia, and on 31 May 1910 combined with three other colonies to form the Union of South Africa, as one of its...
aboard the Trojan and stayed for a year in Pondoland where he acted as agent for Berlinsche Pondo Gesellschaft, writing a report on the natural resources there and trying to acquire land for a German agricultural settlement, a venture which was never realised. He wrote an account of his experiences "Reisen, Erlebnisse und Beobachtungen in der Kapkolonie, Natal und Pondoland", published in 1901 in Berlin, but of scant botanical importance. His first trip went from Durban to Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...
, across the Ixopo and Umzimkulu River
Umzimkulu River
The Umzimkulu River is a river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains and flows southeast towards the Indian Ocean, which it enters in Port Shepstone. Towns on the Umzimkulu include Underberg and Umzimkulu...
s to Clydesdale Mission. His return route crossed the Ibisi River near Harding
Harding, KwaZulu-Natal
Harding is a town situated in the Mzimkulwana River valley, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.Harding was established as a military outpost following the United Kingdom's annexation of East Griqualand in 1874 and was named after the first chief of justice for Natal, Sir Walter Harding.Timber and dairy...
where he called at the Marburg Mission before getting back to Durban via a boat from Port Shepstone.
His second journey started off on 15 January 1888 when he left on horseback from Marburg Mission with Conrad Beyrich. They went via Flagstaff to Lusikisiki, visiting Qawukeni or Qaukeni, the kraal
Kraal
Kraal is an Afrikaans and Dutch word for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within an African settlement or village surrounded by a palisade, mud wall, or other fencing, roughly circular in form.In the Dutch language a kraal is a term derived from the Portuguese word , cognate...
of the Paramount Chief of the Pondo
Pondo
The Pondo or Phondo are an ethnic group who have given their name to Pondoland, a sub-region comprising much of the northern seaboard of the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The Pondo comprises several tribal groups that are all defined as amaXhosa and speak the Xhosa language...
people. From there they went through to the Egossa Forest and on to Port St Johns. Establishing a camp at the ill-fated Port Grosvenor
Port Grosvenor
Port Grosvenor was a harbour on the Wild Coast in South Africa, near the spot where the Indiaman Grosvenor was wrecked in 1782. It was only in use in 1885 and 1886.-History:...
, he made a short excursion to the Mateku Falls on a tributary of the Umsikaba River. He reached Durban in November 1888 and embarked on a boat calling at Port Elizabeth and Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
en route to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
where he arrived in January 1889.
Besides flowering plants he collected some fungi, lichens and mosses, and various natural history specimens. Insect collections, mainly Coleoptera made by him in Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
, Breslau and Mähren
Moravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
are conserved in Landesmuseum für Naturkunde Münster and insect collections made in Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
are in Museum für Naturkunde in Berlin.
He is commemorated in the genus Bachmannia, Leonotis bachmannii, Struthiola bachmannii and Kniphofia bachmannii. He was living at Zurting am Elb in 1916, but his date of death is unknown.