Alfred Tetens
Encyclopedia
Alfred Tetens was a German
Senator of Hamburg, captain
and South Seas
explorer.
and the Außenalster
, but in the middle of the 1860s he went to Micronesia
on behalf of Hamburg shipping owner
and merchant Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy
, then seeking material for Museum Godeffroy
which exhibited (and sold) ethnographic
and natural history
material. In 1869 Teten established the first permanent trading post of J. C. Godeffroy & Sohn. This was on Yap
and the enterprise became particularly influential in economic regard. The most important commercial product was copra
.
Tetens later directed the office of the Wasserschout (which managed the central hiring of seamen) of the Hamburgische Admiralität and eventually became a Senator of the "Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg". In 1891 he was also joint founder of the German Seaman's Mission in Hamburg.
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...
Senator of Hamburg, captain
Captain (nautical)
A sea captain is a licensed mariner in ultimate command of the vessel. The captain is responsible for its safe and efficient operation, including cargo operations, navigation, crew management and ensuring that the vessel complies with local and international laws, as well as company and flag...
and South Seas
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
explorer.
Life
Tetens was the son of a Justizrat (senior counsel) and senator in Danish services. For many years he captained sailing boats on Hamburg's two lakes, the BinnenalsterBinnenalster
Binnenalster or Inner Alster Lake is one of two artificial lakes within the city limits of Hamburg, Germany, which are formed by the river Alster . The main annual festival is the Alstervergnügen.The lake has an area of ....
and the Außenalster
Außenalster
Außenalster or Outer Alster Lake is one of two artificial lakes within the city limits of Hamburg, Germany, which are formed by the river Alster . The size of the Außenalster is 1.6 km²....
, but in the middle of the 1860s he went to Micronesia
Micronesia
Micronesia is a subregion of Oceania, comprising thousands of small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It is distinct from Melanesia to the south, and Polynesia to the east. The Philippines lie to the west, and Indonesia to the southwest....
on behalf of Hamburg shipping owner
and merchant Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy
Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy
Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy was a German trader and Hanseat.He was the founder of Museum Godeffroy.-Family history and the trading company J.C. Godeffroy & Sohn:...
, then seeking material for Museum Godeffroy
Museum Godeffroy
The Museum Godeffroy was a museum in Hamburg, Germany, which existed from 1861 to 1885.The collection was founded by Johann Cesar VI. Godeffroy, who became a wealthy shipping magnate a few years after the expansion of the his trade towards Australia and the South Seas. His expert collectors and...
which exhibited (and sold) ethnographic
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
material. In 1869 Teten established the first permanent trading post of J. C. Godeffroy & Sohn. This was on Yap
Yap
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. It is a state of the Federated States of Micronesia. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four...
and the enterprise became particularly influential in economic regard. The most important commercial product was copra
Copra
Copra is the dried meat, or kernel, of the coconut. Coconut oil extracted from it has made copra an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries. It also yields coconut cake which is mainly used as feed for livestock.-Production:...
.
Tetens later directed the office of the Wasserschout (which managed the central hiring of seamen) of the Hamburgische Admiralität and eventually became a Senator of the "Free and Hanseatic city of Hamburg". In 1891 he was also joint founder of the German Seaman's Mission in Hamburg.
Works
- Among the savages of the South Seas; memoirs of Micronesia, 1862-1868. Reprinted. Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1958.
- with Johann KubaryJohn Stanislaw KubaryJohn Stanislaw Kubary , also stated as Jan Stanislaw Kubary, Jan Kubary, or Johann Stanislaus Kubary, was a Polish naturalist and ethnographer....
and Eduard GräffeEduard Heinrich GraeffeEduard Heinrich Graeffe or Gräffe was a Swiss entomologist specialising in Hymenoptera , Diptera and Hemiptera...
The Carolines island of Yap or Guap according to the reports of Alfred Tetens and Johann Kubary "Die Carolineninsel Yap oder Guap nach den Mittheilungen von Alf. Tetens und Johann Kubary" Microform Reprint New Haven, Conn. - with Semmy Steinberg Vom Schiffsjungen zum Wasserschout Erinnerungen aus d. Leben d. Capitäns Alfred Tetens ; nach seinen Aufzeichnungen Hamburg Niemeyer 1889