Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin
The Geographical Society of Berlin is an association with the aim to support geoscientific research. On April 20, 1828, a small group of co-founders of the company met in Berlin; at the preparatory meeting at the home of Prof. Christian Friedrich Gottlieb Wohlers Captain Johann Jacob Baeyer, Major Karl von Rau, Director Karl Friedrich von Klöden, Major Franz August von Etzel, Prof. Johann August Zeune and Prof. Heinrich Berghaus were present. They formulated the purpose of the created company, the " transport geography in the widest sense of the word through oral or written communication of ". At the inaugural meeting of the Company on 7 June 1828 was attended by 27 people.
For the first chairman Carl Ritter was elected. Later Chairman were the explorer Heinrich Barth ( until 1865 ) and Gustav Nachtigal. Under Barth's presidency was devoted to the society especially to promote young explorer, not only in Africa. They included, for example, the Sahara researcher Gerhard Rohlfs. Office of the Company since 1899 was the Furstenberg Palace in Berlin's Wilhelmstrasse; Since 1967, the seat of the Alexander -von- Humboldt-Haus in Berlin- Steglitz.
In 1933, the Geographical Society of Berlin Sven Hedin for the Chinese- Swedish expedition Erich von Drygalski for the Gauss expedition and Alfred Philippson for its Aegean research with Ferdinand von Richthofen Medal drew from.
Among the significant personalities who were active in the first half of the 20th century in the Geographical Society, include Friedrich Schmidt -Ott as " chairman ", previously Prussian Minister of Culture and a key designer of the scientific landscape in Germany, as well as the geographer, geopolitics expert and author of dramas and poems Albrecht Haushofer, who was from 1928 to 1940 Secretary of the Company.
The company is funded by member contributions as well as by the foundation of the Geographical Society of Berlin ( GfE Foundation).
The company offers regular lectures and discussion meetings in the rooms of its Alexander -von- Humboldt -Haus in Berlin -Steglitz, and performs - in cooperation with other institutions - conferences, working group meetings and excursions through. She is the editor of the magazine " THE EARTH ", the oldest of the currently published journals of geography in Germany; this is published in English and serves the global distribution of income German geographical research.
Current " chairman ", the traditional title of President, Hartmut Ash, Professor of Cartography and Geoinformatics at the University of Potsdam. The Board is chaired by the Secretary General Christof Ellger.