Heinrich Theodor Menke
Encyclopedia
Heinrich Theodor Menke was a German geographer
who was a native of Bremen
. He is remembered for his work in historical geography
.
Menke studied theology
and philology
at the University of Bonn
, and in 1842 received his doctorate at Halle with a dissertation on ancient Lydia
. Afterwards he worked as a schoolteacher in Bremen, but soon became dissatisfied with this line of work, and undertook legal studies in Berlin
and Heidelberg
. After attaining his degree he practiced law in Bremen
, and later Vegesack.
Throughout his life, Menke had an avid interest in geography
, and via contact with Wilhelm Perthes (1783-1853) of the Justus Perthes Geographische Anstalt
in Gotha
, his primary vocational focus turned to edition and production of geographical atlases. In 1865 he published the third edition of Karl Spruner von Merz
' Atlas Antiquus, and later produced the heavily revised third edition of Spruner's atlas of medieval and modern history- Hand-Atlas für die Geschichte des Mittelalters und die neueren Zeit (1871-1880). Menke died in Gotha on May 14, 1892.
The island group Menkeøyane
in the Svalbard
archipelago is named in his honor.
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
who was a native of Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. He is remembered for his work in historical geography
Historical geography
Historical geography is the study of the human, physical, fictional, theoretical, and "real" geographies of the past. Historical geography studies a wide variety of issues and topics. A common theme is the study of the geographies of the past and how a place or region changes through time...
.
Menke studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and philology
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...
at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
, and in 1842 received his doctorate at Halle with a dissertation on ancient Lydia
Lydia
Lydia was an Iron Age kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the modern Turkish provinces of Manisa and inland İzmir. Its population spoke an Anatolian language known as Lydian....
. Afterwards he worked as a schoolteacher in Bremen, but soon became dissatisfied with this line of work, and undertook legal studies 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...
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. After attaining his degree he practiced law in Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, and later Vegesack.
Throughout his life, Menke had an avid interest in geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, and via contact with Wilhelm Perthes (1783-1853) of the Justus Perthes Geographische Anstalt
Justus Perthes
Justus Perthes Publishers in Gotha, Germany was established in 1785. Justus Perthes was Publisher of geographic atlases, ‘’Petermann’s Geographische Mitteilungen’’ and also the Almanach de Gotha,...
in Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
, his primary vocational focus turned to edition and production of geographical atlases. In 1865 he published the third edition of Karl Spruner von Merz
Karl Spruner von Merz
Karl Spruner von Merz , or Karl von Spruner as he preferred to be known, was a German cartographer and scholar.He spent most of his long life in military service. He joined the Bavarian army, aged 11, in 1814, and was promoted to lieutenant in 1825...
' Atlas Antiquus, and later produced the heavily revised third edition of Spruner's atlas of medieval and modern history- Hand-Atlas für die Geschichte des Mittelalters und die neueren Zeit (1871-1880). Menke died in Gotha on May 14, 1892.
The island group Menkeøyane
Menkeøyane
Menkeøyane is a small island group south of Halvmåneøya, an island off the southeast coast of Edgeøya. The group includes Havella, Alka, Gassen, Teisten, Islomen and Blåmåken. They comprise part of Tusenøyane. The islands are named after the German cartographer and historical geographer Heinrich...
in the Svalbard
Svalbard
Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located north of mainland Europe, midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. The group of islands range from 74° to 81° north latitude , and from 10° to 35° east longitude. Spitsbergen is the...
archipelago is named in his honor.