Hinrich Braren
Encyclopedia
Hinrich Braren later known as Hinrich Brarens, was a Danish sea captain, pilot inspector
and nautical examiner. He wrote the first book on navigation
in German language
and established the first public nautical school in the Duchy of Schleswig.
as son of a whaling
captain. Only aged 12 he went to sea with his father and each year from 1763 to 1780 he used to sail to Greenland
as a whaler. In 1780 he changed to merchant shipping and was incidentally able to acquire the full command over one of the ships of his Dutch
ship-owner in the Mediterranean Sea
. In 1786, while Braren sailed from Copenhagen
to Greenland as a seal catcher
for the Royal Greenlandic Trade
, he received the order to support a Danish expedition that was determined to explore the east coast of Greenland.
Inspired by this expedition Braren settled down as a navigation teacher on Föhr and opened a private nautical school. In 1794 he was also a merchant and harbourmaster
in Wyk auf Föhr
. In 1796 he was granted an examinator's license and the permission to establish a public nautical school. This school was later moved to Tönning
at the mouth of the Eider river when Braren was posted there as inspector for the maritime pilot
s on the Eider and the Eider Canal. Due to the Continental System
during the Napoleonic Wars
, Tönning had become an important commercial harbour for a short time.
During his work as a nautical teacher, Braren became aware of the lack of suitable books in German language since Dutch literature was common at the time. Therefore he wrote the textbook System der praktischen Steuermannskunde [System of a practical Navigation] which was published in 1800 in Magdeburg
and had three further editions. In 1807 he wrote another textbook System der praktischen Schifferkunde [System of a practical Shipmaster's Knowledge] and in 1820 he edited a nautical almanac
in Altona
. The two "practical" textbooks remained in use in northern Germany until the late 19th century.
. His first marriage spawned ten children while the second marriage remained without child. His daughter Gundalena (born Jung Göntje Braren) married the Hamburg
based ship-owner and ship-broker Robert Miles Sloman
in 1806, four years later her sister Göntje married Sloman's brother John Miles.
After their removal to Tönning the family had changed their name to Brarens.
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
and nautical examiner. He wrote the first book on navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
in German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and established the first public nautical school in the Duchy of Schleswig.
Life
Hinrich Braren was born in 1751 in Oldsum on the North Frisian island of FöhrFöhr
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
as son of a whaling
History of whaling
The history of whaling is very extensive, stretching back for millennia. This article discusses the history of whaling up to the commencement of the International Whaling Commission moratorium on commercial whaling in 1986....
captain. Only aged 12 he went to sea with his father and each year from 1763 to 1780 he used to sail to Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
as a whaler. In 1780 he changed to merchant shipping and was incidentally able to acquire the full command over one of the ships of his Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
ship-owner in the Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
. In 1786, while Braren sailed from Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
to Greenland as a seal catcher
Seal hunting
Seal hunting, or sealing, is the personal or commercial hunting of seals. The hunt is currently practiced in five countries: Canada, where most of the world's seal hunting takes place, Namibia, the Danish region of Greenland, Norway and Russia...
for the Royal Greenlandic Trade
Royal Greenland
Royal Greenland A/S is a fishing company in Greenland. The company operates in a number of towns and settlements in Greenland, with 20 fish processing plants and ship bases of local subsidiary units...
, he received the order to support a Danish expedition that was determined to explore the east coast of Greenland.
Inspired by this expedition Braren settled down as a navigation teacher on Föhr and opened a private nautical school. In 1794 he was also a merchant and harbourmaster
Harbourmaster
A harbourmaster is an official responsible for enforcing the regulations of a particular harbour or port, in order to ensure the safety of navigation, the security of the harbour and the correct operation of the port facilities.-Responsibilities:Harbourmasters are normally responsible for issuing...
in Wyk auf Föhr
Wyk auf Föhr
Wyk auf Föhr is the only town on Föhr, the second largest of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. Like the entire island it belongs to the district of Nordfriesland...
. In 1796 he was granted an examinator's license and the permission to establish a public nautical school. This school was later moved to Tönning
Tönning
Tönning is a town in the district of Nordfriesland in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. During the Great Northern War, Tönning was besieged twice.-Geography:...
at the mouth of the Eider river when Braren was posted there as inspector for the maritime pilot
Maritime pilot
A pilot is a mariner who guides ships through dangerous or congested waters, such as harbours or river mouths. With the exception of the Panama Canal, the pilot is only an advisor, as the captain remains in legal, overriding command of the vessel....
s on the Eider and the Eider Canal. Due to the Continental System
Continental System
The Continental System or Continental Blockade was the foreign policy of Napoleon I of France in his struggle against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland during the Napoleonic Wars. It was a large-scale embargo against British trade, which began on November 21, 1806...
during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, Tönning had become an important commercial harbour for a short time.
During his work as a nautical teacher, Braren became aware of the lack of suitable books in German language since Dutch literature was common at the time. Therefore he wrote the textbook System der praktischen Steuermannskunde [System of a practical Navigation] which was published in 1800 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....
and had three further editions. In 1807 he wrote another textbook System der praktischen Schifferkunde [System of a practical Shipmaster's Knowledge] and in 1820 he edited a nautical almanac
Nautical almanac
A nautical almanac is a publication describing the positions of a selection of celestial bodies for the purpose of enabling navigators to use celestial navigation to determine the position of their ship while at sea...
in Altona
Altona
Altona may refer to:* Altona, Hamburg, Germany** Altona-Nord, Hamburg, Germany*Altona, Illinois, United States*Altona, Indiana, United States*Altona, Manitoba, Canada*Altona , New York, located in Clinton County or...
. The two "practical" textbooks remained in use in northern Germany until the late 19th century.
Personal life
In 1773 Hirich Braren married his first wife Thur (neé Früdden, born 15 March 1751 in Oldsum) who changed her name to Dorothea Brarens in Tönning. She died in 1809. Hinrich Braren was married a second time to Margaretha, neé Steffens, from ItzehoeItzehoe
Itzehoe is a town in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein.As the capital of the district Steinburg, Itzehoe is located on the Stör, a navigable tributary of the Elbe, 51 km northwest of Hamburg and 24 km north of Glückstadt...
. His first marriage spawned ten children while the second marriage remained without child. His daughter Gundalena (born Jung Göntje Braren) married the Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
based ship-owner and ship-broker Robert Miles Sloman
Robert Miles Sloman
Robert Miles Sloman was an English-German shipbuilder and ship owner.-Shipping:...
in 1806, four years later her sister Göntje married Sloman's brother John Miles.
After their removal to Tönning the family had changed their name to Brarens.