Reginald Koettlitz
Encyclopedia
Reginald Koettlitz was a British physician and polar explorer
. He participated in the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition
to Franz Josef Land
(from 1894) and in the Discovery Expedition
to Antarctica.
Reginald Koettlitz was born on 23 December 1860 in Oostende to a Dutch
Lutheran
minister and his English wife. The family settled in Hougham, Kent
soon thereafter. He attended Dover College
and later Guy's Hospital
in London, where he received training as a physician and took up a post as a country doctor in County Durham
.
to Franz Josef Land
as physician and geologist.
On returning to Dover
, Koettlitz brought back a polar bear
, which is still in the Dover Museum. In 1901, he volunteered for Robert Falcon Scott
’s Discovery Expedition
to Antarctica, again as physician. His assistant on this trip was E.A. Wilson, later surgeon on Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition
. On a trip he led across McMurdo Sound
, Koettlitz discovered two glacial features later named after him, the Koettlitz Glacier
and the Koettlitz Neve. For his role in the Discovery Expedition
, Koettlitz was awarded a medal from the Royal Geographical Society
.
Later in life, he practised medicine in South Africa. He died from dysentery
in January 1916 along with his wife.
archipelago – is named after him, as were Koettlitz Glacier
and the Koettlitz Neve
, both in Antarctica.
Polar exploration
Polar exploration may refer to:* Antarctic exploration* Arctic exploration-See also:* Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration* List of Antarctic expeditions* List of Arctic expeditions* List of polar explorers* List of Russian explorers...
. He participated in the Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition
Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition
The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land, 1894–97, was led by British Arctic explorer Frederick George Jackson and financed by newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth. Jackson had been misled by false maps into believing that Franz Joseph Land was a land mass that extended to...
to Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
(from 1894) and in the Discovery Expedition
Discovery Expedition
The British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, generally known as the Discovery Expedition, was the first official British exploration of the Antarctic regions since James Clark Ross's voyage sixty years earlier...
to Antarctica.
Reginald Koettlitz was born on 23 December 1860 in Oostende to a Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
minister and his English wife. The family settled in Hougham, Kent
Hougham, Kent
For the village of Hougham, Lincolnshire see Hougham, LincolnshireHougham Without is a civil parish between Dover and Folkestone in southeast England. The main settlements are the villages of Church Hougham and West Hougham, collectively known simply as "Hougham". Great Hougham Court Farm is...
soon thereafter. He attended Dover College
Dover College
Dover College is a co-educational independent school in Dover in southeast England. It was founded in 1871, and takes both day pupils and boarders....
and later Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
in London, where he received training as a physician and took up a post as a country doctor in County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
.
Polar exploration
In 1894 he volunteered to join the Jackson-Harmsworth ExpeditionJackson-Harmsworth Expedition
The Jackson-Harmsworth Expedition to Franz Josef Land, 1894–97, was led by British Arctic explorer Frederick George Jackson and financed by newspaper proprietor Alfred Harmsworth. Jackson had been misled by false maps into believing that Franz Joseph Land was a land mass that extended to...
to Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
as physician and geologist.
On returning to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Koettlitz brought back a polar bear
Polar Bear
The polar bear is a bear native largely within the Arctic Circle encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses. It is the world's largest land carnivore and also the largest bear, together with the omnivorous Kodiak Bear, which is approximately the same size...
, which is still in the Dover Museum. In 1901, he volunteered for Robert Falcon Scott
Robert Falcon Scott
Captain Robert Falcon Scott, CVO was a Royal Navy officer and explorer who led two expeditions to the Antarctic regions: the Discovery Expedition, 1901–04, and the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, 1910–13...
’s Discovery Expedition
Discovery Expedition
The British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, generally known as the Discovery Expedition, was the first official British exploration of the Antarctic regions since James Clark Ross's voyage sixty years earlier...
to Antarctica, again as physician. His assistant on this trip was E.A. Wilson, later surgeon on Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition
Terra Nova Expedition
The Terra Nova Expedition , officially the British Antarctic Expedition 1910, was led by Robert Falcon Scott with the objective of being the first to reach the geographical South Pole. Scott and four companions attained the pole on 17 January 1912, to find that a Norwegian team led by Roald...
. On a trip he led across McMurdo Sound
McMurdo Sound
The ice-clogged waters of Antarctica's McMurdo Sound extend about 55 km long and wide. The sound opens into the Ross Sea to the north. The Royal Society Range rises from sea level to 13,205 feet on the western shoreline. The nearby McMurdo Ice Shelf scribes McMurdo Sound's southern boundary...
, Koettlitz discovered two glacial features later named after him, the Koettlitz Glacier
Koettlitz Glacier
The Koettlitz Glacier is a large Antarctic glacier lying west of Mount Morning and Mount Discovery, flowing from the vicinity of Mount Cocks northeastward between Brown Peninsula and the mainland into the ice shelf of McMurdo Sound....
and the Koettlitz Neve. For his role in the Discovery Expedition
Discovery Expedition
The British National Antarctic Expedition, 1901–04, generally known as the Discovery Expedition, was the first official British exploration of the Antarctic regions since James Clark Ross's voyage sixty years earlier...
, Koettlitz was awarded a medal from the Royal Geographical Society
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society is a British learned society founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical sciences...
.
Later in life, he practised medicine in South Africa. He died from dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
in January 1916 along with his wife.
Legacy
Koettlitz Island (Ketlitsa Ostrova) – a low-lying island in the Britansky Kanal in the Franz Josef LandFranz Josef Land
Franz Josef Land, Franz Joseph Land, or Francis Joseph's Land is an archipelago located in the far north of Russia. It is found in the Arctic Ocean north of Novaya Zemlya and east of Svalbard, and is administered by Arkhangelsk Oblast. Franz Josef Land consists of 191 ice-covered islands with a...
archipelago – is named after him, as were Koettlitz Glacier
Koettlitz Glacier
The Koettlitz Glacier is a large Antarctic glacier lying west of Mount Morning and Mount Discovery, flowing from the vicinity of Mount Cocks northeastward between Brown Peninsula and the mainland into the ice shelf of McMurdo Sound....
and the Koettlitz Neve
Koettlitz Neve
Koettlitz Neve is a neve named in association with Koettlitz Glacier....
, both in Antarctica.