Wilhelm Junker
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Junker was a Russia
n explorer of Africa
. He was of German
descent.
He was born in Moscow
. He studied medicine at Dorpat, Göttingen
, Berlin
and Prague
, but did not practise for long. After a series of short journeys to Iceland
(1869), Western Africa (1873), Tunis
(1874) and Lower Egypt
(1875), he remained almost continuously in eastern Equatorial Africa from 1875 to 1886, making first Khartoum
and afterwards Lado the base of his expeditions.
Junker was a leisurely traveller and a careful observer; his main object was to study the peoples with whom he came into contact, and to collect specimens of plants and animals, and the result of his investigations in these particulars is given in his Reisen in Afrika (3 vols., Vienna, 1889–1891), a work of high merit. An English translation by A. H. Keane was published in 1890-1892.
Perhaps the greatest service he rendered to geographical science was his investigation of the Nile
-Congo
watershed, when he successfully combated Georg Schweinfurth's hydrographical theories and established the identity of the Welle
and Ubangi. The Mahdist rising prevented his return to Europe through the Sudan
, as he had planned to do, in 1884, and an expedition, fitted out in 1885 by his brother in St Petersburg, failed to reach him. Junker then determined to go south. Leaving Wadelai
on the 2nd of January 1886 he travelled by way of Uganda
and Tabora
and reached Zanzibar
in November 1886. In 1887 he received the gold medal of the Royal Geographical Society
. As an explorer Junker is entitled to high rank, his ethnographical observations in the Niam-Niam (Azande
) country being especially valuable although unsubstantiated in parts. He died at St. Petersburg.
See the biographical notice by E. G. Ravenstein
in Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (1892), pp. 185–187.
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n explorer of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. He was of German
History of Germans in Russia and the Soviet Union
The German minority in Russia and the Soviet Union was created from several sources and in several waves. The 1914 census puts the number of Germans living in Russian Empire at 2,416,290. In 1989, the German population of the Soviet Union was roughly 2 million. In the 2002 Russian census, 597,212...
descent.
He was born in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. He studied medicine at Dorpat, Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, 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 Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, but did not practise for long. After a series of short journeys to Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
(1869), Western Africa (1873), Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
(1874) and Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt
Lower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
(1875), he remained almost continuously in eastern Equatorial Africa from 1875 to 1886, making first Khartoum
Khartoum
Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...
and afterwards Lado the base of his expeditions.
Junker was a leisurely traveller and a careful observer; his main object was to study the peoples with whom he came into contact, and to collect specimens of plants and animals, and the result of his investigations in these particulars is given in his Reisen in Afrika (3 vols., Vienna, 1889–1891), a work of high merit. An English translation by A. H. Keane was published in 1890-1892.
Perhaps the greatest service he rendered to geographical science was his investigation of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
-Congo
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
watershed, when he successfully combated Georg Schweinfurth's hydrographical theories and established the identity of the Welle
Welle
Welle can refer to:*The German word for wave used by the Wehrmacht to designate groups of divisions recruited in a given period of time.*the river Wel in Poland*the former Roman Catholic missionary Prefecture Apostolic of Welle in Congo...
and Ubangi. The Mahdist rising prevented his return to Europe through the Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, as he had planned to do, in 1884, and an expedition, fitted out in 1885 by his brother in St Petersburg, failed to reach him. Junker then determined to go south. Leaving Wadelai
Wadelai
Wadelai is a village of northern Uganda on the Albert Nile and was the final chief station of Emin Pasha when Governor of Equatoria.It lies at 2 50' N., 31 35' E., 200 m. in a direct line N.N.W. of Entebbe on Victoria Nyanza, and 72 mi. by river below Butiaba on Albert Nyanza. The British built a...
on the 2nd of January 1886 he travelled by way of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
and Tabora
Tabora
Tabora is the capital city of Tanzania's Tabora Region with a population of 127,880 . Tabora region is one of the largest geographical regions of Tanzania.- History :...
and reached Zanzibar
Zanzibar
Zanzibar ,Persian: زنگبار, from suffix bār: "coast" and Zangi: "bruin" ; is a semi-autonomous part of Tanzania, in East Africa. It comprises the Zanzibar Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of numerous small islands and two large ones: Unguja , and Pemba...
in November 1886. In 1887 he received the gold medal of 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...
. As an explorer Junker is entitled to high rank, his ethnographical observations in the Niam-Niam (Azande
Azande
The Azande are a tribe of north Central Africa. Their number is estimated by various sources at between 1 and 4 million....
) country being especially valuable although unsubstantiated in parts. He died at St. Petersburg.
See the biographical notice by E. G. Ravenstein
Ernst Georg Ravenstein
Ernst Georg Ravenstein was a German-English geographer cartographer and promoter of physical exercise...
in Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society (1892), pp. 185–187.
Further reading
- Robert Brown (1893) The story of Africa and its explorers, Cassell & Co., London http://books.google.com/books?id=4afNAAAAMAAJ&source=gbs_navlinks_s