Fred K. Schaefer
Encyclopedia
Fred K. Schaefer was a geographer
. He is considered as one of the pioneers of quantitative revolution
.
, Germany
in the family of metal worker. He was involved in politics as a member of Social Democratic party and after the rise of fascism
he fled from Nazi Germany. He attended the University of Berlin pursuing both undergraduate and postgraduate studies from 1928 through 1932. As an undergraduate he studied economics, economic geography, and political geography. As a graduate student he studied mathematics and population statistics.
Later in the United States
he became an inaugural member of the Department of Geography at Iowa.
In 1947 he married Mary Strub, a native of Iowa City. He died of a heart attack on June 6, 1953.
's position in United States, and a call for a scientific approach to geography based upon the search for geographical laws (the ultimate form of a scientific generalization). Schaefer died before his article even appeared in print, and so he was never able to elaborate his argument, nor defend himself from Hartshorne's subsequent critique. But the article became a rallying point for the younger generation of economic geographers
who were intent on reinventing the discipline as a science, or spatial science as it was later dubbed. The subject has now been revived by economists
under the umbrella of the new economic geography.
by his wife, Mary Strub Schaefer. The include at least two unpublished manuscripts by Schaefer, “Political Geography,” and “The Nature of Geography.”.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...
. He is considered as one of the pioneers of quantitative revolution
Quantitative revolution
In the history of geography, the quantitative revolution [n] was one of the four major turning-points of modern geography -- the other three being environmental determinism, regional geography and critical geography)...
.
Life
Fred K. Schaefer was born in BerlinBerlin
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...
, Germany
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...
in the family of metal worker. He was involved in politics as a member of Social Democratic party and after the rise of fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
he fled from Nazi Germany. He attended the University of Berlin pursuing both undergraduate and postgraduate studies from 1928 through 1932. As an undergraduate he studied economics, economic geography, and political geography. As a graduate student he studied mathematics and population statistics.
Later in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
he became an inaugural member of the Department of Geography at Iowa.
In 1947 he married Mary Strub, a native of Iowa City. He died of a heart attack on June 6, 1953.
Works
He is well-known for his article in flagship American periodical, Annals, Association of American Geographers called Exceptionalism in geography: A Methodological Examination It was both a repudiation of Richard HartshorneRichard Hartshorne
Richard Hartshorne was a prominent American geographer. He completed his undergraduate studies at Princeton University and his doctorate at the University of Chicago , then taught at the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin , with war-time interruption to...
's position in United States, and a call for a scientific approach to geography based upon the search for geographical laws (the ultimate form of a scientific generalization). Schaefer died before his article even appeared in print, and so he was never able to elaborate his argument, nor defend himself from Hartshorne's subsequent critique. But the article became a rallying point for the younger generation of economic geographers
Economic geography
Economic geography is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the world. The subject matter investigated is strongly influenced by the researcher's methodological approach. Neoclassical location theorists, following in the tradition of Alfred...
who were intent on reinventing the discipline as a science, or spatial science as it was later dubbed. The subject has now been revived by economists
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
under the umbrella of the new economic geography.
Other sources
Schaefer’s papers were donated to the American Geographical SocietyAmerican Geographical Society
The American Geographical Society is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world...
by his wife, Mary Strub Schaefer. The include at least two unpublished manuscripts by Schaefer, “Political Geography,” and “The Nature of Geography.”.