Hans Merensky
Hans Merensky ( born March 16, 1871 in Botshabelo, Transvaal, † October 21, 1952 ) was a German-born South African geologist, prospector, scientist, conservationist and philanthropist. He discovered some of the most important global commodity deposits of diamonds, gold, platinum, chromium, copper and phosphate in South Africa.
Life
Hans Merensky was born on 16 March 1871 as a son of Alexander Merensky in the station Botshabelo the Berlin Missionary Society, near Middelburg in the Transvaal. Early on, he developed an interest in minerals, which later became his passion. In addition, he also enjoyed the outdoors, so he started after his school years in Germany with the study of mining and geology. He received his doctorate from the Technical University of Berlin; He acquired his practical training in coal mines in the Saarland and Silesia. He then began to work for the Prussian Ministry of Mines.
In 1904 he went to South Africa to conduct some geological surveys in the Transvaal. A short time later he discovered tin near Pretoria. This discovery he reported the mining company Premier Diamond Mine for potential mining prospects.
In the first time in South Africa Hans Merensky worked for several mining companies, among others, Friedlander & Co., which sent him to Madagascar to investigate an alleged discovery of gold at Anosivola, but this turned out to be wrong. Finally, he quit his job in Germany and moved to Johannesburg, where he became a successful consulting geologist.
In 1909 he visited the diamond fields of South Africa and made the controversial prediction that one would find diamonds on the west coast and south of the Oranje. 1914 Merensky lost because of the war his entire fortune and was interned in a camp near Pietermaritzburg. During these financially difficult years, he enjoyed the support of Sir George Albu.
In 1924 he made the first platinum Fund in Lydenburg, so his financial situation improved. This Fund was known as the Merensky Reef. In 1926, he found diamonds at Alexander Bay. Then Merensky sold his mining shares for £ 1,250,000 and founded the Phosphate Development Corporation Ltd.. ( Foskor ) to guide the recovery of phosphate with Phalaborwa.
With a portion of the money he bought in 1930 by Henning von Bülow the Good Rodenwalde in Mecklenburg, which he had by the famous architect Werner Cords Parchim expand into a modern large -Good. In his last years he lived quietly on his farm Westfalia, near Duiwelskloof in the Transvaal, where he received national celebrities and foreign dignitaries with great hospitality and charm.
He shared to the greater part of its assets to the Hans Merensky Trust to ensure that its projects in agriculture, horticulture and forestry would continue on the Westfalia -Good after his death. He also founded the Hans Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria.
Overview of the discovered resources
- Alexander Bay, Namaqualand richest deposits of Schwemmlanddiamanten
- Lydenburg, Rustenburg and Potgietersrus: huge platinum and chromium deposits, today 's largest platinum mines in the world
- Phalaborwa, Transvaal Lowveld: phosphate and copper deposits
- Free State: Gold
- Hunting like near Pietersburg: world's largest chromium deposits
Film
The life of Hans Merensky in 2003 was "The White Africans" filmed a two-part TV movie with Tim Bergmann in the title role, under the title.