Alexander von Humboldt – A Concise Biography

This masterly biography is a vivid portrait of the life and times of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), who was a global celebrity scientist, international networker, ingenious polymath and inveterate traveller - the epitome of the Renaissance man of his time. He spoke multiple languages and was at ease in a huge range of disciplines, while also making practical and experimental contributions to a number of fields, beginning with mining. The author embraces the complexity of his character and his attempts at remaining impartial when faced with political controversies. He was a pioneer of an ecological and holistic approach to science, viewing nature as a whole, interconnected with human society. His brother Wilhelm noted his talent for connecting ideas and making linkages, and as early as 1799 he was writing that no force in the universe ‘could be conceived independently of any other… in nature there is neither above nor below.’ (p. 73)

Between 1799 and 1804, his independent means enabled him to undertake a long journey to the Americas – he had already mastered Spanish, in addition to French and English, and these days he could be characterised as an economist, sociologist, demographer, anthropologist, ethnologist, and cultural historian (p. 61). He comes across as remarkably prescient in criticising the selfish interests of European colonial overlords destroying ecological balances and driving ‘the unsustainable pillaging of resources on the ground’ using slave labour, of which Humboldt was an early critic. Moreover, he was very sceptical of the claim that Spain was bestowing the blessings of civilisation on these first nations, insisting that the Spaniards had learned far more from the natives than they had taught them. Humboldt also suffered severe altitude sickness in scaling heights of between 4,700 and 6,200 m without any proper equipment.

The biography charts his multiple activities in Paris, then in Berlin, where he published many works and gave public lectures to audiences of up to 1,500 people, including many women. His brother founded the University of Berlin in 1810, and by 1834 it had 100 professors and 2,000 students. The population of Berlin doubled to 400,000 between 1820 and 1848 (my great-grandfather studied there in the early 1840s) with progressive industrialisation accompanied by an explosion of knowledge that challenged even the intellectual capacity of Humboldt. His Cosmos lectures represented a new phase in the history of public awareness of the natural sciences in Germany by integrating these into 19th century culture. He also championed the upgrade of the Observatory and a new Zoo in Berlin. Incredibly, the first volume of his cosmos series sold 20,000 copies. Humboldt never married, and managed on four hours sleep a night. He met and influenced many younger scientists, and was lionised in all the European capitals, while also maintaining close relations with Prussian kings. This highly readable work is an ideal introduction to a seminal historical figure.