Int J Earth Sei (Geol Rundsch) (2010) 99:949-954 DOI 10.1007/s00531 -009-0420-x NEUES AUS DEM GEOLOGENARCHIV Alfred E. Bergeat (1866-1924): a distinguished volcanologist and ore deposit researching scientist at the mining academies of Freiberg (Saxony) and Clausthal (Harz mountains) in Germany Fritz A. Pfaffl Received: 31 July 2008 / Published online: 26 February 2009 © Springer-Verlag 2009 Abstract Alfred E. Bergeat, originated from a family, (Bergakademien) of Freiberg and Clausthal. His reputation who produced gold-glance in a factory (porcelain painting), further raised by the posthumous edition of both manuals studied mineralogy and geology at the University of(1925, 1927), called “Vulkane” and “Vulkankunde”. His Munich from 1886 to 1892. Due to the results of his two other manuals “Die Erzlagerstätten” and “Abriß der habilitation work on the volcanism of island arcs, espe­ Erzlagerstättenkunde” (1904-1906, 1913) were based on cially of the Stromboli volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian the extensive collections from the famous outcrops and Sea, he became a recognized volcanologist and specialist in mining districts in the mountains of the Erzgebirge and the volcanic petrography. He further became an explorer of Harz, which were available to him for his fundamental syngenetic, epigenetic and deuterogenic ore deposits at the investigations in the best equipped laboratories and mining academies (Bergakademien) of Freiberg (Saxony) libraries of these days. A. E. Bergeat did never consider a and Clausthal (Harz mountains). He described these ore comeback to the University of Munich, the locality of his deposits in a two-volume manual (1904-1906) which was glancing habilitation, because of the great support he summarized again in 1913. After his early death in 1924, received at Freiberg and at Clausthal. the two manuals “Die Vulkane” (1925) and “Vulkankun- de” (1927) were posthumously published by his colleague and friend Karl Sapper (1866-1945). Biography of AlfredE. Bergeat Alfred Edmund Bergeat (Fig. 1) was born on 17 July 1888 in Passau (lower Bavaria, southern Germany) as a son of Introduction Cristhoph and Elisabeth Bergeat having ten brothers and sisters. The Family Bergeat originated from Thonon Both, the University and the technological high school, had (Chablais, France). She immigrated to Bavaria and settled especially in the last third of the nineteenth century at Schottermühle near Ebermannstadt in Franconia. There, prominent and international well-known high school Cristoph learned the Job of miller, but later studied tech­ teachers. Descending scientists did not found independent nology in Munich and chemistry in Nuremberg and was work directions, but gained them after departure to other appointed as teacher for the district at the junior high universities. Through his excellent habilitation work on the school in Passau. Through the invention of glance gold for volcanism of the Liparic Islands, A. E. Bergeat achieved porcelain painting (Bergeat 1860) he has acquired a great a high scientific reputation in the mining academies capital, which he could transfer to his son Eugen, but Eugen died already in 1901 and this event terminated the fabrication of glance gold. After school years in Passau, Nuremberg and Wiesba­ F. A. Pfaffl (El) den, Alfred E. Bergeat studied sciences (geology, Dachverband der Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereinigungen Deutschlands, Pfarrer-Fürst-Straße 10, 94227 Zwiesel, Germany mineralogy and botany) in Munich from 1886 to 1892. His e-mail: [email protected] academic teachers were the professors v. Zittel, v. Groth, ^ Springer 950 Int J Earth Sei (Geol Rundsch) (2010) 99:949-954 corresponding member of the Prussian Academy of Sci­ ence in Berlin. The new foundation of the mineralogical institute and the new set up of the mineralogical collections of the mining academy in Clausthal resulted mainly from the effort of Bergeat. In honour of his work, he was delegated to the centennial celebration of the English Geological Society on London in recognition of these achievements. Bergeat took part in the international congresses of geology in America, in Austria, in Sweden, and in Canada. He received an honorary doctor degree of the faculty of law of the University of Montreal. Alfred E. Bergeat was a vivid teacher and an indefati­ gable worker. The marine geologist Karl Andrée (1880- 1959) started his scientific career under Bergeat as an assistant. He was an open minded character, he had a quick apprehension and a bright sense of humour. At the begin­ ning of the First World War he voluntarily joined the Bavarian Army as patriot until he was asked to return to the University of Königsberg (Kaliningrad) to act as dean. The end of the war with all its consequences for Germany hit him very hard since he was a monarchist throughout Fig. 1 Alfred Edmund Bergeat (1866-1924), from R. Brauns 1924 (Brauns 1924). His list of publications records 36 books, brochures and single papers. Radhof, v. Baeyer, Lommel, Hertwig, Rothpletz, Dingier, Eik, Palety, Löw, Naumann, Fraas and Weinschenk. In The habilitation work on the volcano Stromboli 1892 he received his PhD with a work on the geological (Liparic Islands) constitution of the Island of Cyprus (Bergeat 1892). His “doctor fathers” were Karl Alfred v. Zittel and Ernst The mining consultant Dr. Stelzner in Freiberg procured Weinschenk. him a study during teaching vacation on the Liparic Islands None of the industrious and ambitious and talented near Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea for doing the fieldwork young assistants and private docents had a real chance of for his habilitation at a German university. Already during acknowledgement and promotion from their dominating a reconnaissance work (Fig. 2) prior to this extended field teachers and scientific popes at the University of Munich: campaign, he made important corrections of previous Carl Wilhelm von Giimbel (1823-1898), Karl Alfred vonobservations (Bergeat 1896, 1899). It was his aim to Zittel (1939-1904) and Paul von Groth (1843-1927), thecombine previous communications of the condition and the last one of them even celebrated himself as “the world set up of the volcano Stromboli with his own observations highest authority in crystallography”. to an integrated study and description. His exact geological Therefore, Bergeat left Munich to join Alfred W. and petrographical mapping (Fig. 3) allowed a first concept Stelzner as an assistant at the well-known mining academy of the evolution of this volcanic island. In autumn 1894 in Freiberg (Saxony), where he met with his later wife Bergeat returned from his 11 weeks fieldwork with about Sophie Heisterbergk. After the early death of Stelzner he 800 samples of rocks from which 500 thin-sections were went back to the University of Munich as docent of min­ prepared in the institute of Freiberg. eralogy and geology in order to present his habilitation One can read in his habilitation, already completed in work on the geology and mineralogy of the volcano1896 the following: (the way how it is cited tries to follow Stromboli (Liparic Islands). In 1899 he was appointed for a the wording of that time): professorship in geology and deposits at the mining acad­ “The first volcano (Stromboli), however, whose emy of Clausthal (Harz). After 10 years, in 1909 he was description is given on these pages, had been described so appointed as full professor of mineralogy at Königsberg many times that I felt quite desperate at the beginning how I (Eastern Prussia) and finally in 1921 he was appointed at may be able to contribute new aspects to the knowledge. At the University of Kiel. There, he worked until his death due that time I barely had decided to describe the volcano in to an apoplectic stroke in 1924. In 1920 he became asuch a comprehensive way as I did, if it had not turned out <£) Springer Int J Earth Sei (Geol Rundsch) (2010) 99:949-954 951 A . B erg est der Stromboli. A . Bergest' der Strombali Schemaiische Ansicht des Stromboli. Petrogr. - Geolog. Skizze des Vulkans. • Kr0.1er. A0?6 Gipfel. I I JndrsUische Zaven und- Tuffe des Urkctjcls. Ältere basaltische J.cu'c/i urul Tuffe-. ESB LeucUbasojtit narhtjewiesen.. Jüngste Bildungen der Sciarraj. Fig. 2 Schematic view(above) and geologic-petrographic sketch of Fig. 3 Geological and petrographical map of the island of Stromboli the volcano Stromboli (Italy), from A. Bergeat 1896 (Liparic Islands) in the Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy, from A. Bergeat 1896 soon that the numerous papers provided many known remember the beautiful spectacle, which offered the nightly aspects repeatedly while, on the other hand, they reported and dark mountain to him: how a flash of fire shoots up into volcanic activities from different times: the combination ofthe air from the summit after longer or shorter periods, how these different observations into one homogenous picture, it flashes only in a reddish blaze, or how the resting clouds however, was it worth to do this effort. I added all my own over the mountain are bathed in red by the fire, or how observations on the island during an 8-day stay, and, for the thousands of glowing cinders pouring off the crater down­ first time, I tried to outline the evolutionary history of thehill inspire the impression of an out bursting lava flow. volcano. Within the small Aeolian Archipelago the island The island has attracted scientists already from the Stromboli is the most famous one. The still recent active beginning of its geological investigation, since it is easy to volcano had inspired the imagination of the ancient people, reach during the proper season and especially suitable, to and from this imagination also the name of the whole Island observe the eruptive phenomena even in small scale from group derived, since on these islands the master of the very close distances. Therefore, it was visited by numerous winds, King Aeolus, had his residence according to a geologists of different nations and is still one of the most beautiful legend of the ancient people.