Ernst Heinrich Tölken
Encyclopedia
Ernst Heinrich Toelken was a German archaeologist.
and so taught himself using material otherwise way beyond a beginner. In his mathematical inclinations, he was supported by Dr. G. R. Treviranus
, who taught him the principles of spherical trigonometry.
, "cui destinatus eram" (as I was destined to be"). Already in the first of his seven semesters there he shifted his focus, opting not for Eichhorn
's and Planck's theological courses but instead increasingly for history, philosophy and philology, though still linking them back into theology. With his mother's approval, he used the autumn of his first semester to take the first of his characteristic trips, this time through Germany and Switzerland, of which trip he notes: "idque pene totum pedibus confeci". On returning to Göttingen, he resumed his multilateral studies, spending a year under professor Thibaut
studying the Analysis of finite and infinite sizes, stating later that "Scientias quoque naturae indagatries, physicam et chemicam paululum attigi." The studies in ancient and recent history became more and more significant. At the midpoint of his study at Göttingen, he studied under Herbart, though perhaps on material he had already learned in Bremen. Toelken also a member of Herbart's secret society:
Professor Herbart had many highly talented students, who combined a variety of philological
and pedagogic
interests characteristic for the "Neuhumanisten" (New Humanists), including Ernst Karl Friedrich Wunderlich
, Georg Ludolf Dissen
, Friedrich Thiersch
and Friedrich Kohlrauschan.
, a social society founded in Berlin
in 1809 in the aftermath of the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
to press for the reform of Prussia
n government and society.
He and Osiander
were rare among the private instructors (Privatdozenten) of their time in being able to undertake foreign travel and a "grand tour
".
At the age of 30 he became Professor of Art History
at Berlin University. He was tutor to Franz Woepcke
during his maths dissertation there.http://genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/html/id.phtml?id=63734
He was appointed director of the Antiquarium, or Cabinet of Antiquities, at the Berlin Museum
in 1832, and also became its vice-president.
A set of 419 plaster impressions of Prince Stanisław Poniatowski's (1754-1833) gem collection were presented to the King of Prussia
by the prince himself (they now form the Daktyliothek Poniatowski in Berlin). They were shown to Toelken in 1832, and he was the first to doubt that the original gems were ancient, noticing that (from the known signatures of Graeco-Roman engravers) the signatures on these gems suggested that engravers working centuries apart were producing gems that were impossibly identical in style, and stating "Thus, we have here, -- and I am extremely sorry to give this hard judgement! -- in works and words a scientific deceit of such dimensions never seen in art history before." He did, however, judge their classical style with great admiration, and commented that the impressions were "indeed the most beautiful you can expect to see in art". http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/Gems/poniatowski/default.htm
As a secretary of the Königlichen Akademie der Künste, he was co-signatory and co-author of an 1844 letter of thanks from it to the composer Franz Commer.http://www.maremagnum.com/index.php?option=com_ricerca&task=risult&desiditem=37268685
Early life
He was born to the Bremen businessman Heinrich Toelken. His father and mother taught him themselves in his early years, and Toelken especially emphasizes the religious and cultural education he gained from his mother, saying that "totam sese educationi meae addixit". Toelken lost his father early in life and was in later years raised by his grandfather, the businessman Ernst Trüper. Toelken went to several Bildungsanstalten and schools in his home town, including the "Rothen Waisenhauses", and then spent 1794-1802 at the "Pädagogium", studying in the top class and graduating with honours. Toelken next took the opportunity to continue his education privately, particularly in modern languages (French, English and Italian or, in his words, "Galliam, Anglicam et Italieam"), which he studied under several teachers. Because at that time not all public schools taught ancient Greek, Toelken decided to teach himself it:- "subito amore incensus, privatim in hoc studio consumsi; praepostere initium faciens ab Euripidis Hippolyto et Platonis Phaedone"
and so taught himself using material otherwise way beyond a beginner. In his mathematical inclinations, he was supported by Dr. G. R. Treviranus
Treviranus
Treviranus may refer to:* Gottfried Reinhold Treviranus , German naturalist.* Gottfried Reinhold Treviranus , German politician.* Ludolph Christian Treviranus , German botanist, younger brother of G. R. Treviranus....
, who taught him the principles of spherical trigonometry.
University
On the 25th April 1804 Toelken, aged 18 and as the son of Heinrich Toelken's widow, he matriculated in the theological faculty of the Georgia Augusta at GöttingenGöttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, "cui destinatus eram" (as I was destined to be"). Already in the first of his seven semesters there he shifted his focus, opting not for Eichhorn
Eichhorn
Eichhorn or Eichhörnchen is German for "squirrel"; "die Eiche" means "Oak" and "Eichhorn" is the creature that inhabits the oak.It is the surname of:* Albert Eichhorn, historian of religion* Christoph Eichhorn...
's and Planck's theological courses but instead increasingly for history, philosophy and philology, though still linking them back into theology. With his mother's approval, he used the autumn of his first semester to take the first of his characteristic trips, this time through Germany and Switzerland, of which trip he notes: "idque pene totum pedibus confeci". On returning to Göttingen, he resumed his multilateral studies, spending a year under professor Thibaut
Anton Friedrich Justus Thibaut
Anton Friedrich Justus Thibaut , was a German jurist and musician.-Early life:He was born at Hamelin, in Hanover, the son of an officer in the Hanoverian army, of French Huguenot descent...
studying the Analysis of finite and infinite sizes, stating later that "Scientias quoque naturae indagatries, physicam et chemicam paululum attigi." The studies in ancient and recent history became more and more significant. At the midpoint of his study at Göttingen, he studied under Herbart, though perhaps on material he had already learned in Bremen. Toelken also a member of Herbart's secret society:
- viri singularis, cujus in me officia et amicitiam laudibus nunquam satis prosequi potero.
Professor Herbart had many highly talented students, who combined a variety of philological
Philology
Philology is the study of language in written historical sources; it is a combination of literary studies, history and linguistics.Classical philology is the philology of Greek and Classical Latin...
and pedagogic
Pedagogy
Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction....
interests characteristic for the "Neuhumanisten" (New Humanists), including Ernst Karl Friedrich Wunderlich
Ernst Karl Friedrich Wunderlich
Ernst Karl Friedrich Wunderlich was a German classical philologist who was born in Westerengel, a village near Trebra. He was the father of legal scholar Agathon Wunderlich ....
, Georg Ludolf Dissen
Georg Ludolf Dissen
Georg Ludolf Dissen was a German classical philologist who was a native of Groß Schneen, a village in the District of Göttingen....
, Friedrich Thiersch
Friedrich Thiersch
Friedrich Wilhelm Thiersch , was a German classical scholar and educationist.-Biography:He was born at Kirchscheidungen...
and Friedrich Kohlrauschan.
Later life
He was a member of the Gesetzlose Gesellschaft zu BerlinGesetzlose Gesellschaft zu Berlin
The Gesetzlose Gesellschaft zu Berlin , is a social society founded in Berlin in 1809 in the aftermath of the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt to press for the reform of Prussian government and society....
, a social society founded in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in 1809 in the aftermath of the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
Battle of Jena-Auerstedt
The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt were fought on 14 October 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale in today's Germany, between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia...
to press for the reform of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n government and society.
He and Osiander
Osiander
Osiander was the name of a family of German Lutheran scholars and theologians:# Andreas Osiander# Lucas Osiander the Elder, son of Andreas Osiander# Andreas Osiander II, eldest son of Lucas Osiander the Elder...
were rare among the private instructors (Privatdozenten) of their time in being able to undertake foreign travel and a "grand tour
Grand Tour
The Grand Tour was the traditional trip of Europe undertaken by mainly upper-class European young men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the advent of large-scale rail transit in the 1840s, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage...
".
At the age of 30 he became Professor of Art History
Art history
Art history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
at Berlin University. He was tutor to Franz Woepcke
Franz Woepcke
Franz Woepcke was a German Orientalist and mathematician. Woepcke is remembered for edition of numerous Arabic mathematical manuscripts....
during his maths dissertation there.http://genealogy.math.ndsu.nodak.edu/html/id.phtml?id=63734
He was appointed director of the Antiquarium, or Cabinet of Antiquities, at the Berlin Museum
Antikensammlung Berlin
The Antikensammlung Berlin is one of the most important collections of classical art in the world, now held in the Altes Museum and Pergamon Museum in Berlin, Germany. It contains thousands of ancient archaeological artefacts from the ancient Greek, Roman, Etruscan and Cypriot civilizations...
in 1832, and also became its vice-president.
A set of 419 plaster impressions of Prince Stanisław Poniatowski's (1754-1833) gem collection were presented to the King of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
by the prince himself (they now form the Daktyliothek Poniatowski in Berlin). They were shown to Toelken in 1832, and he was the first to doubt that the original gems were ancient, noticing that (from the known signatures of Graeco-Roman engravers) the signatures on these gems suggested that engravers working centuries apart were producing gems that were impossibly identical in style, and stating "Thus, we have here, -- and I am extremely sorry to give this hard judgement! -- in works and words a scientific deceit of such dimensions never seen in art history before." He did, however, judge their classical style with great admiration, and commented that the impressions were "indeed the most beautiful you can expect to see in art". http://www.beazley.ox.ac.uk/Gems/poniatowski/default.htm
As a secretary of the Königlichen Akademie der Künste, he was co-signatory and co-author of an 1844 letter of thanks from it to the composer Franz Commer.http://www.maremagnum.com/index.php?option=com_ricerca&task=risult&desiditem=37268685
Works
- Erklärung der Bildwerke am Tempel des Jupiter Ammon zu Siwah ... Diese Bogen, nebst den beiligenden drei Steindrücken, gehören zu der von dem Verfasser herauszugebenden "Reise zum Tempel des Jupiter Ammon in Libyen und nach Oberägypten von Sr. Excellenz dem Herrn General-Lieutenant Freiherr von Minutoli. Berlin, A. Rücker, 1823.http://www.polybiblio.com/quaritch/A867.html
- Reise zum Tempel des Jupiter Ammon in der Lybischen Wüste .. in den Jahren 1820 und 1821. Von Heinrich Freiherr von Minutoli ... Nach den Tagebüchern ... herausgegeben von Dr. E.H. Toelken (Berlin, Rücker, 1824; a supplement volume appeared in 1827) - on the Prussian army officer, Heinrich Baron von Minutoli's trip to EgyptEgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
in 1820 and the Siwa OasisSiwa OasisThe Siwa Oasis is an oasis in Egypt, located between the Qattara Depression and the Egyptian Sand Sea in the Libyan Desert, nearly 50 km east of the Libyan border, and 560 km from Cairo....
in 1821 as leader of a scientific mission, on which Minutoli amassed an important collection of antiquities which Aloys HirtAloys HirtAloys Hirt was a German art historian and archaeologist of Greek and Roman architecture...
visited enthusiastically in 1823; the collection was eventually sold in Paris with a large part acquired by the Berlin Museum of which Toelken was a curator.