Selected Writings

Alexander von Humboldt was a major international celebrity in his lifetime, second only to Napoleon in fame. Born into the Prussian nobility in 1769, he was initially destined for the civil service. During his twenties, he balanced his role in the Ministry of Mines with personal studies in science, geology, and botany. He traveled across Europe, encountering figures like Bligh, Banks, and Bougainville, and spent significant time with Goethe in Weimar and Jena. Upon inheriting a fortune after his mother’s death, he planned a major expedition. Despite Napoleon’s interference, he surprisingly obtained permission from Carlos IV to explore the Spanish colonies in South America. He embarked on this journey with French botanist Aime Bonpland, equipped with numerous scientific instruments, evading British warships along the way. These five years of exploration provided Humboldt with material for a lifetime of writing. However, publication costs depleted his funds, leading him back to Prussia after over two decades in Paris, where he served as a chamberlain at the court of Friedrich Wilhelm III. Despite finding the position unfulfilling, he undertook one final major expedition across Russia at the age of sixty. Tirelessly energetic, he continued working and writing until his death in 1859 at nearly ninety years old, prompting worldwide mourning.

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