Heinrich Menu von Minutoli
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Menu von Minutoli
(12 May 1772, Geneva
– 16 September 1846, Lausanne
) was a Prussian
Generalmajor, explorer and archaeologist.
(1782 to 1784) and was instructed in military matters by an Austrian captain in the engineers. In 1786, aged 14, he entered on his first years in Prussian
military service, as a result of patronage from his uncle Moritz, a Prussian general. He served as a bombardier
for two years in the field artillery
corps, then received officer training in an infantry regiment stationed in Magdeburg
from 1789. Also from this date, because the training did not intellectually satisfy him, he learned Greek, Latin, Italian and English. He was invalided out of the military at only 21, however, after suffering a serious arm injury in the defence of fort Gustavsburg in Mainz
on 29 June 1793 during the Siege of Mainz.
He was called up again in 1794 as Stabskapitän
, teacher and instructor at the officer cadet corps in Berlin for nobles, heading it from 1797. Friedrich Wilhelm III appointed him tutor to his son 9 year old Carl
in 1810.
Minutoli was highly interested in ancient art and, after prince Carl had reached adulthood, Minutoli undertook numerous foreign trips. He was entrusted in 1820 with the direction of an expedition that until August 1821 was paid for by the Egyptian government. The scientists Wilhelm Friedrich Hemprich and Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
, the architecture professor Liman and the Orientalist Scholz, among others, accompanied him. Minutoli's collections, of which a large part was lost in a shipwreck, were purchased by the king of Prussia for 22,000 talers and formed the foundation of the Egyptian Museum
in Berlin. Minutoli was appointed a member of the academy of the sciences, and soon retired (with the rank of Generalleutnant) to an estate in Lausanne, where he died in 1846.
(a Berlin chief of police
and envoy to the Qajar
court in Persia), Adolph and Alexander.
Von Minutoli
The von Minutoli family originally came from Lucca or Naples and hiked over into Switzerland during the 17th century. They included:*Heinrich Menu von Minutoli*Julius Rudolph Ottomar Freiherr von Minutoli...
(12 May 1772, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
– 16 September 1846, Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
) was a Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
Generalmajor, explorer and archaeologist.
Life
Minutoli initially received a wholly private education, then attended secondary school in KarlsruheKarlsruhe
The City of Karlsruhe is a city in the southwest of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg, located near the French-German border.Karlsruhe was founded in 1715 as Karlsruhe Palace, when Germany was a series of principalities and city states...
(1782 to 1784) and was instructed in military matters by an Austrian captain in the engineers. In 1786, aged 14, he entered on his first years in Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
military service, as a result of patronage from his uncle Moritz, a Prussian general. He served as a bombardier
Bombardier (rank)
Bombardier is a rank used in artillery units in the armies of Commonwealth countries instead of corporal. Lance-bombardier is used instead of lance-corporal....
for two years in the field artillery
Field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, long range, short range and extremely long range target engagement....
corps, then received officer training in an infantry regiment stationed in Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
from 1789. Also from this date, because the training did not intellectually satisfy him, he learned Greek, Latin, Italian and English. He was invalided out of the military at only 21, however, after suffering a serious arm injury in the defence of fort Gustavsburg in Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
on 29 June 1793 during the Siege of Mainz.
He was called up again in 1794 as Stabskapitän
Stabskapitän
Stabskapitän is a historic military rank, used in the Prussian and Russian armies. It ranked between the Premierleutnant and Hauptmann/Rittmeister in the Prussian army, and between lieutenant and captain in the Russian army...
, teacher and instructor at the officer cadet corps in Berlin for nobles, heading it from 1797. Friedrich Wilhelm III appointed him tutor to his son 9 year old Carl
Prince Charles of Prussia
Prince Frederick Charles Alexander of Prussia born in Charlottenburg, was a younger son of Frederick William III of Prussia and Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz...
in 1810.
Minutoli was highly interested in ancient art and, after prince Carl had reached adulthood, Minutoli undertook numerous foreign trips. He was entrusted in 1820 with the direction of an expedition that until August 1821 was paid for by the Egyptian government. The scientists Wilhelm Friedrich Hemprich and Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg
Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg , German naturalist, zoologist, comparative anatomist, geologist, and microscopist, was one of the most famous and productive scientists of his time.- Early collections :...
, the architecture professor Liman and the Orientalist Scholz, among others, accompanied him. Minutoli's collections, of which a large part was lost in a shipwreck, were purchased by the king of Prussia for 22,000 talers and formed the foundation of the Egyptian Museum
Egyptian Museum of Berlin
The Egyptian Museum of Berlin is home to one of the world's most important collections of Ancient Egyptian artifacts.The collection is part of the Neues Museum.-History:...
in Berlin. Minutoli was appointed a member of the academy of the sciences, and soon retired (with the rank of Generalleutnant) to an estate in Lausanne, where he died in 1846.
Works
- Militärische Erinnerungen a. d. Tagebuche, [no publication place] 1845
- Der Feldzug der Verbündeten in Frankreich im Jahre 1792. Striese, Berlin 1847
- Beiträge zu einer künftigen Biographie Friedrich Wilhelms III. so wie einiger Staatsdiener und Beamten seiner nächsten Umgebung. Aus eigener Erfahrung und mündlich verbürgten Mittheilungen zusammengetragen, Mittler, Berlin 1843-44
- Der Graf von Haugwitz und Job von Witzleben. Eine Zugabe zu meiner Schrift, betitelt: Beiträge zu einer künftigen Biographie Friedrich Wilhelms III. so wie einiger Staatsdiener und Beamten seiner nächsten Umgebung. Logier, Berlin 1844
- Über antike Glasmosaik (Berlin 1814)
- Reise zum Tempel des Jupiter AmmonAmmonAmmon , also referred to as the Ammonites and children of Ammon, was an ancient nation located east of the Jordan River, Gilead, and the Dead Sea, in present-day Jordan. The chief city of the country was Rabbah or Rabbath Ammon, site of the modern city of Amman, Jordan's capital...
und nach OberägyptenUpper EgyptUpper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
. Berlin (1824, mit Atlas) - Über die Anfertigung und Nutzanwendung der farbigen Gläser bei den Alten (1837)
- Friedrich und Napoleon (Berlin 1840)
Issue
Heinrich Menu von Minutoli married Wolfradine von Schulenburg (who also became known as an Egyptologist) and they had three sons: JuliusJulius Rudolph Ottomar Freiherr von Minutoli
Julius Rudolph Ottomar Freiherr von Minutoli was a Prussian chief of police, diplomat, scientist, and author, as well as a gifted draughtsman.-Life:...
(a Berlin chief of police
Prussian Secret Police
The Prussian Secret Police was the state police agency of the German state of Prussia in the 19th century and early 20th century.In 1851 Police Union of German States was set up by the police forces of Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Hanover, Baden, and Württemberg...
and envoy to the Qajar
Qajar dynasty
The Qajar dynasty was an Iranian royal family of Turkic descent who ruled Persia from 1785 to 1925....
court in Persia), Adolph and Alexander.
Further reading
- Harry Nehls: Späte Ehrung. Anmerkungen zum 150. Todestag von Minutoli. In: Berlinische Monatsschrift 10 (1996), S. 87 ff.
External links
- Festschrift review
- Biography
- Article in ADBAllgemeine Deutsche BiographieAllgemeine Deutsche Biographie is one of the most important and most comprehensive biographical reference works in the German language....
- Exhibition catalogue from Stadtarchivs Bamberg on his son Julius von Minutoli
- http://www.luise-berlin.de/bms/bmstxt01/0105GESB.htm Harry Nehls: Ein Geschenk für Minutoli? Die Neuenburger Goldtabatiere des Prinzen Carl von Preußen] (A gift for Minutoli? The new castle Goldtabatiere of prince Carl of Prussia), in Berlinische Monatsschrift 5 (2001)