Henno Martin
Encyclopedia
Henno Martin was a German
geologist
who, along with Hermann Korn, lived for 2 years in the Namib Desert
to avoid internment
during the Second World War
.
, Germany
on March 15, 1910. His studies at the universities of Bonn
, Zũrich
, and Göttingen culminated in a Ph.D on "Post-Archean Tectonics in Southern Central Sweden. In 1935 he emigrated along with Korn to what was then South-West Africa (now Namibia
), and worked as a consulting geologist. In 1940, facing internment by the South African
government, Martin and Korn decided to move into the desert and wait out the war. They returned to Windhoek
in 1942 after Korn contracted beri-beri. They were not interned on their return, and before the war ended were employed as surveyors by the government. In 1957 Martin wrote The Sheltering Desert, a memoir of his experience living in the Namib.
The Geological Society of Namibia awards the Henno Martin Medal annually for the best scientific publication by a geologist living in Namibia.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
who, along with Hermann Korn, lived for 2 years in the Namib Desert
Namib Desert
The Namib Desert is a desert in Namibia and southwest Angola that forms part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park, the largest game reserve in Africa. The name "Namib" is of Nama origin and means "vast place"...
to avoid internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Martin was born in FreiburgFreiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
, Germany
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...
on March 15, 1910. His studies at the universities 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...
, Zũrich
University of Zurich
The University of Zurich , located in the city of Zurich, is the largest university in Switzerland, with over 25,000 students. It was founded in 1833 from the existing colleges of theology, law, medicine and a new faculty of philosophy....
, and Göttingen culminated in a Ph.D on "Post-Archean Tectonics in Southern Central Sweden. In 1935 he emigrated along with Korn to what was then South-West Africa (now Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
), and worked as a consulting geologist. In 1940, facing internment by the South African
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
government, Martin and Korn decided to move into the desert and wait out the war. They returned to Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
in 1942 after Korn contracted beri-beri. They were not interned on their return, and before the war ended were employed as surveyors by the government. In 1957 Martin wrote The Sheltering Desert, a memoir of his experience living in the Namib.
The Geological Society of Namibia awards the Henno Martin Medal annually for the best scientific publication by a geologist living in Namibia.
Selected bibliography
- Martin, Henno (1957). The Sheltering Desert.
- Martin, Henno (1961). The Hypothesis of Continental Drift in the Light of Recent Advances of Geological Knowledge in Brazil and in South West Africa. Geological Society of South Africa
- Martin, Henno (1965). The Precambrian Geology of South West Africa and Namaqualand. Cape Town:Precambrian Research Unit, University of Cape Town