Heinrich Christian Burckhardt

Heinrich Christian Burckhardt ( born February 26, 1811 in Adelebsen, † December 14, 1879 in Hannover ) was a German forester of the 19th century, who coined by his work and his publications, the forestry and silviculture of the time. He was head of the Forestry Administration of the Kingdom of Hanover and later ( after the annexation by Prussia ) of the Prussian province of Hanover.

Life and work

Heinrich Christian Burckhardt was born on 26 February 1811 in the castle Adelebsen on the southern border of the Solling. His father was employed as a Riding Rangers while Baron Adelebsen, for which he managed forests and inhabited to a small service apartment at the castle.

Influenced by his father's profession, he started with 15 years of practical forestry teaching in the riding ends Rangers Brauns in Ertinghäuser area near Hardegsen. In 1828, he was sworn in as the Hanoverian military police. Instead then, as usual for young foresters to visit the Kingdom of Hanover belonging forestry school in Clausthal, Burckhardt decided at the university in Göttingen to go where he enlisted on 29 October 1831 to study mathematics and science in the first place. However, he had to stop the study after two semesters because of money problems again.

After having worked for the Nörtener forester as an auxiliary force for surveying and Taxationsarbeiten, he was ordered by the Royal Hanoverian domain management as auxiliary hunters after Westerhof the edge of the Harz. 23- year old, he took over from his father, the forest administration in Adelebsen, but only got 3/4 of the salary. In 1835 he married Charlotte Wilhelmine Bornträger, the daughter of a Slender Master. The couple had three sons and a daughter.

1836 Burckhardt was the Royal Hanoverian sub forester in Bühren. This post was paid less than his old job, but offered him opportunities for advancement. In 1844 he was to Hann. Munden called. Here he took over the management of the Basin as Kattenbühl Riding forester. He also became a teacher in the School of Forestry in Hann. Munden worked, which was moved here from Clausthal. However, this was resolved in 1849 by significant changes in the Hanoverian forestry organization.

1849 Burckhardt was brought in as a member of the domain of forestry chamber to Hanover. After the head of the Forestry Department in Hanover, Johann Christian von During 1851 and retired in the office two years remained unoccupied, Burckhardt in 1853 in fact the successor and became the first head of the civil Forestry Administration of the Kingdom of Hanover. After the domain Chamber was abolished in 1858, he was appointed Director and Secretary-General for Forestry Forestry Ministry of Finance. After the annexation of Hanover by Prussia in 1866 Burckhardt was responsible for the Forestry Administration of the Prussian Province of Hanover. The honorable reputation in the headquarters of the Prussian Forest Service in Berlin, he refused.

At his entreaties towards a foundation to help distressed forest officers and their survivors ends in 1878 founded, which was named after him " Burckhardt Foundation " and today " the green color Burckhardt Foundation " is. Since the social protection of the forest people, however, has significantly improved, the income from the Foundation now flow mainly in the forestry education and research.

On December 7, 1879 Burckhardt suffered at work on the desk a stroke, on which he died on December 14, 1879 seven days later. He was buried at the city cemetery Engesohde in Hanover.

Services

Burckhardt's importance is mainly in his teaching in Hann. Munden and its role as an organizer of the Hanover forest management - to see - after all, the third largest in Germany. Under him, the district forester system was introduced. Leading the way in this respect was the division of labor in forest management by separating the higher technical from a forestry career. The newly introduced forester was responsible for the practical work in the operation results in its raised position while the senior forester had to take care of the economic and administrative tasks in the first place. Later this system was referred to as a Hanoverian Revierförster system.

In addition, Burckhardt designed numerous laws especially for replacement of pasture and litter raking rights in the forest. Further, it is thanks to him that was from 1860 Öd and Heathland reforested large scale inter alia, in the Lüneburg Heath, in the County of Lingen. This former agricultural land were devastated by intensive use and took no more income. The newly created forests were not particularly profitable, however, have led over time to the fact that the soils were allowed to recover.

Honors

Burckhardt received " numerous awards and decorations ", including:

The Forestry Faculty of the Georg-August -Universität Göttingen gives the Heinrich Christian Burckhardt medal to honor personalities, " which by its practical impact, as well as to promote the Forestry Faculty in research and teaching rendered outstanding services to the forestry, have. The name of Heinrich Christian Burckhardt to the spirit of solidarity of the personalities to be honored with the Forestry Faculty in Hann. Munden bring in a special way to express " ( from the award of the medal to the Articles of Association ). The close connection with the Forestry Faculty Burckhardt is the fact that in 1868, among others, at the instigation Burckhardt in Hann. Munden the Royal Prussian Academy of Forestry Hann Munden was founded. 1922 renamed Forestry University Rector with the Constitution, promotion law, habilitation and appointment right was adopted and proclaimed on May 3, 1923. On May 6, 1939, she became part of the Forestry Faculty of the Georg -August- University of Göttingen and laid in the winter semester 1970/1971 to Göttingen. Since 1954, 37 people have been awarded the medal.

Monuments

His hometown Adelebsen has named both a street and 1986 ( for its 175th birthday ) the local elementary school after him - Burckhardt thus one of the few foresters, which was bestowed such an honor.

In its place of action Hann. Munden is the listed " Burckhardthaus ". In addition, there are, as in Hanover ( there since 1897 ), also a Burckhardt road. In the village Kirchwehren in Seelze a stone in memory of Burckhardt has been established in 1880, south of the lodge on the edge of Bössels.

The city of Hannover in his honor one of Carl Dopmeyer 1889 created monument, a " granite obelisk with relief portrait " in their urban forest, the " front Eilenriede " built.

Slightly off-side of a (forest ) hiking trail in Bad Rehburg is also a memorial stone bearing the inscription H. Burckhardt ( front) and 1880 ( rear).

Writings (selection )

• Seeding and planting after forest practice: a contribution to wood education, Hanover: Rümpler, 1855 - Burckhardt's most important work, which was published until 1893 in six editions
• The forest value in relation to disposal, dispute and compensation, Hannover: Rümpler, 1859
• The forest conditions of the Kingdom of Hanover in 1864
• Hunting and forest songs, 1866 ( reprint under the title Burckhardt 's hunting and forest songs. General German songs and Kommersbuch for foresters, hunters and hunting enthusiasts, Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-8289-6602-0 )
• To steam plow culture, in: From the forest V, Hannover 1874, pp. 192-198.
• About the steam plow culture to forest cultivation of Heidflächen, in: From the forest VI, Hannover 1875, pp. 150-158
• About steam plow culture to forest cultivation of nations, particularly in the forestry districts Osterbrock at Meppen in Hanover, in: From the forest VII, Hannover 1876, pp. 246-254

In addition, Burckhardt was also founder and editor of the book series from the forest. Mittheilungen in (10) casual booklets (1865 - 1881). From the wood is still the message signature of the Lower Saxony state forest administration.