Alfred Philippson
Alfred Philippson ( born January 1, 1864 in Bonn, † March 28, 1953 ) was a German geographer.
- 6.1 Alfred Philippson
- 6.2 Dora Philippson
Biography
Education and work
Alfred Philippson was the youngest son of the rabbi and publisher Ludwig Philippson and his second wife Mathilde. The historian Martin Philippson was his brother.
Philippson studied in Bonn and Leipzig geography, geology, mineralogy, and economics. In 1886 he received his doctorate studies on watersheds by Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen at the University of Leipzig with a thesis. After a study of the supplementary Paleontology in Munich Philippson began in 1887, his first trip to Greece. With his book The Peloponnese - attempt at a regional studies on geological basis Philippson was habilitated in 1891. On December 15, he gave his inaugural lecture and was approved in 1892 in Bonn as Privatdozent. The title " professor " he was, however, only 1899.
In the last decade of the 19th century traveled Philippson Northern Greece (1893 ), Konstantin Opel, the Aegean Islands (1896 ) and Russia ( 1897). Prior to his appointment at the full professor of geography at the University of Bern in 1904, further research trips followed by Asia Minor. After a stopover at the University of Halle- Wittenberg in 1911, he returned to Bonn.
Philippson effort has been made to expand the geography as equivalent academic branch of geography and to develop further. Through the systematic expansion of library, map collection and seminar rooms until his retirement in 1929 Philippson created in Bonn is one of the most modern geographical institutes in Germany.
Family
1892 married Alfred Philippson Lina Anna Simoni. From this marriage four children were born. After the early death of Anna Lina Simoni in 1906, married in 1919 Margaret Philippson Kirchberger.
Tracking and return
1933 Philippson was banned from teaching, his publications he could then only publish abroad. 1938, the passport was revoked. Because of his friendship with Sven Hedin Philippson remained unmolested. In July 1941, the Gestapo confiscated the Bonner Philippson's house and showed him with his wife Margaret and his daughter Dora to a small apartment in the house of the Jewish lawyer wool stone. On June 8, 1942, he was deported with his wife Margaret and his daughter Dora to Theresienstadt. Sven Hedin sat down (even at the request of colleagues and relatives Philippson out ) with the Nazis for his friend and former fellow student. His interventions led to its classification as an "A Prominent " and to prison breaks of the family, so that they ultimately managed to survive the concentration camps. Philippson wrote in October 1942 in Theresienstadt his memoirs, How I became a geographer. The daughter Dora escaped deportation to a death camp only because she had to care for her ailing father. On 20 April 1945, however, all family members received an "invitation " of the SS camp administration for the " classification " into a " transport" ready to hold. Before it came to Theresienstadt was handed over to the Red Cross on 3 May 1945 and then liberated by the Red Army. Because the camp was subsequently quarantined, it took several months until its release.
Dora, Margaret and Alfred Philippson returned on 10 July 1945 after Bonn.
Correspondence with Sven Hedin after returning
The Swede Sven Hedin was for decades in correspondence with Alfred Philippson and regularly sent him food parcels to the concentration camp Theresienstadt. On May 29 1946 he wrote Alfred Philippson ( direct quote, abridged): "My dear Hedin! The opening of mail to foreign countries gives me the opportunity to write to you ... We often think with heartfelt gratitude to our lifesaver, whom alone it is due to that we have the terrible time of three years confinement and starvation in the concentration camp Have survived Theresienstadt alive, at my age, a true miracle. It is known to you that we have been few survivors finally, a few days before the impending gassing us free,. We, my wife, daughter and I have been here then returned on 9 / July 10, 1945 in a bus to the city of Bonn in our destroyed almost half of hometown ... "
Sven Hedin replied on June 19, 1946 ( direct quote, abridged): " ... I can not describe the joy I experienced when I received yesterday your love beautiful letter of 29 May! It sounds like a fairy tale! I had the last time when the Russians were advancing ever closer big fear for you, your wife and your daughter that your life floated in great danger, and that would all disappear without a trace, the inhabitants of Theresienstadt. In these reasons, was not at all to think of letters and mailings. And so came suddenly your fabulous letter and I and my sister Alma were happy to know that you all of a sudden, post tot discrimina rerum, were safe and without risk! It was too good to learn that our efforts have not been in vain. In these difficult years, we have had over a hundred similar, unhappy people were dragged to Poland to save, but in most cases it is not succeeded. Some Norwegians we do have can help. My home in Stockholm was transformed into a kind of information and assistance office and I had this excellent help of Dr. Paul Grassmann, press attaché at the German embassy in Stockholm. He also has no trouble saving to be active in humanitarian work. But in almost any case, it's gone so happy as in yours, dear old friend! And how nice that you are back in Bonn .... " (previously unpublished letters from the Riksarkivet in Stockholm, File: Sven Hedin Arkiv, correspondent, Tyskland, 487, where there is the entire correspondence, and for information about Alfred Philippson contains. )
The names and fates of over a hundred deported Jews, for whose release Sven Hedin has used have not yet been explored. The names and fates of the Norwegians, however, are known (see Sven Hedin ).
The last few years in Bonn
Without referring back to his old house, Alfred Philippson took a 81- year-old his publishing activities again, and in November 1945 he received a teaching license renewed.
Alfred Philippson died on 28 March 1953 at the age of 89 years, his wife Margaret Philippson also died in 1953. 's Daughter Dora Philippson could no longer teach as a teacher due to their permanently damaged health. Until shortly before her death in 1980, she campaigned for the reconciliation of Jews and Christians in the Bonn Jewish community, the Jewish Women's Association and in the Bonn Society for Christian-Jewish Cooperation a.
Functions
- Chairman of the Technical Committee geography in the Emergency Association of German Science, founded in 1920 (1920 - 1928)
- Chairman of the Central Committee of the German geographer day (1921 - 1925)
- Formation and structuring of the Association of German high school teacher of geography (1925 - 1929)
Awards
- Member of the Leopoldina (1907 )
- Honorary Doctor of the University of Athens (1912 )
- Privy Councillor (1915 )
- Golden Ferdinand von Richthofen Medal ( 1933) (together with Erich von Drygalski and Sven Hedin )
- Honorary Doctor of the University of Bonn (1946 )
- Entry in the " Golden Book " of the City of Bonn (1947 )
- Gustav- Steinmann - Medal ( 1947)
- Great Federal Cross of Merit (1952 )
Since 6 February 2006 carries the lecture hall of the Institute of Geography of the University of Bonn Alfred Philippson's name.
Writings
- The Greek landscapes 4 volumes. Frankfurt am Main: Klostermann 1950-1959
- Studies on watersheds ( Diss 1886)
- The Mediterranean region, its geographical and cultural identity (1904, 4th edition 1922).
- Europe. (1906 with Prof. Dr. Ludwig Neumann, band of Sievers ' General Regional Geography )
- Broad general geography (3 volumes 1920-1924 )
- How I became a geographer (1942/1996), ISBN 3-416-02620-9
- Land and Sea of the Greeks (1946 )
- The climate of Greece ( 1948)
- Handbook of regional geology: Asia Minor In: Handbook of the regional geology, Volume 22 (1968 )