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Samuel Engel

December 28, 2022

For the screenwriter, see Samuel G. Engel.

Samuel Engel (2 December 1702 – 26 March 1784) was a Swiss librarian, civil servant, economist and agronomist working in Bern who introduced innovations in several fields. He was convinced of the existence of a Northeast Passage and published several influential books about the Arctic.

Samuel Engel, 1776 wash drawing by Balthasar Anton Dunker

Early life and education

Engel was born in Bern as son of Burkhard Engel (1662–1750), Landvogt of the Canton of Bern in Frienisberg Abbey, and Rosina Fischer (died 1752).[1] He studied at the University of Bern from 1718 to 1722,[2] preparing for a career in the civil service. After some travels, he passed the exam as a notary[1] in 1726.[2]

Professional career

Engel worked as an administrator for orphanages from 1724. From 1736 to 1748, he was head librarian of the city library, which was modernised under his leadership.[2] A bibliophile and collector, he bought so many books at auctions that he had to sell several again at a loss in 1744.[3] Engel started the use of alphabetised catalogues and pioneered facsimile with a 1746 edition of the Carmen de motibus Siculis.[2][4] He was elected a member of the Grand Council of Bern in 1745 and was Landvogt in Aarberg 1748–1754 and Échallens 1760–1765.[2] He worked to improve agriculture and forestry, was one of the founders of the Ökonomische Gesellschaft [de] in 1759, and introduced potato farming to the people of Vaud in Nyon in 1770/71.[1]

Geography

 
HMS Racehorse and HMS Carcass stuck in the ice

Engel was interested in the geography of North America from an early age, and collected many relevant rare books.[5] From 1735, he participated in the scholarly debate about the existence of a land bridge between North America and Asia, and was closely interested in the Great Northern Expedition, especially in the reports of Johann Georg Gmelin, who was in contact with his cousin and friend Albrecht von Haller.[6]

Despite the observations published by Gmelin, Engel was convinced that an ice free Northeast Passage existed, and tried unsuccessfully to persuade the British Admiralty to send an expedition.[5] The theory was that sea water could not freeze, so any ice in the polar sea must originate from freshwater rivers and be seasonal.[7] Engel's 1765 book Memoires et observations geographiques et critiques sur la situation des pays septentrionaux de l'Asie et de l'Amerique[8] suggesting the existence of a vast empty sea near the North Pole had a great influence in England and France.[9]

A follower of Engel, Royal Society vice president Daines Barrington wrote to the First Lord of the Admiralty, Lord Sandwich in January 1773, and suggested an expedition to the North Pole.[9] The Admiralty quickly started preparations, and the ships HMS Racehorse and HMS Carcass (commanded by Constantine John Phipps and Skeffington Lutwidge) were sent on the 1773 Phipps expedition towards the North Pole. The Admiralty's instructions for Phipps from 25 May 1773 stated he should "proceed up to the North Pole or as far towards it as you are able, carefully avoiding the errors of former navigators by keeping as much as possible in the open sea, and as nearly upon a meridian to the said Pole as the ice or other obstructions you meet with will admit of. If you arrive at the Pole and should even find the sea so open as to admit of a free navigation on the opposite meridian you are not to proceed any further [...]"[10] However, the expedition got stuck in ice near Svalbard and only extricated itself after great difficulties.[11]

Despite this, Engel and Barrington continued to insist that an ice free polar sea existed. Engel later translated Phipps' report of the voyage, A voyage towards the North Pole[12] into German[13] as Reise nach dem Nordpol: Auf Befehl Ihro Königl. Großbrittannischen Majestät. Unternommen im Jahr 1773.[14] In his 1777 book Neuer Versuch über die Lage der nördlichen Gegenden von Asia und Amerika, und dem Versuch eines Wegs durch die Nordsee nach Indien,[15] he accused the Russian government of falsifying maps and defended his theories about the Northeast Passage.[5]

 
Devices to produce potato flour, from the Suite du Recueil de planches, sur les sciences, les arts libéraux et les arts méchaniques

Engel contributed articles on the geography of Northern Asia and America for Charles-Joseph Panckoucke's supplement to Diderots Encyclopédie.[16] He also wrote an article about the cultivation and culinary use of the potato.[17] In total, he contributed seven articles to volumes I–IV.[18]

References

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Pulver 1959.
  2. ^ a b c d e Stuber 2008.
  3. ^ Michel 1985, p. 186.
  4. ^ Michel 1985, pp. 186–187.
  5. ^ a b c Naville 1952.
  6. ^ Stuber 2000, pp. 175–176.
  7. ^ Beaglehole 1967, p. xlix.
  8. ^ Engel 1765.
  9. ^ a b Savours 1984, p. 403.
  10. ^ Savours 1984, p. 409.
  11. ^ Savours 1984, pp. 417–421.
  12. ^ Phipps 1774.
  13. ^ Savours 1984, p. 422.
  14. ^ Phipps & Engel 1777.
  15. ^ Engel 1777.
  16. ^ Watts 1954, p. 13.
  17. ^ Lough 1973, p. 63.
  18. ^ Lough 1973, p. 57.

Bibliography

  • Beaglehole, John Cawte (1967), The voyage of the Resolution and Discovery: 1776–1780, Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, OCLC 247236791, retrieved 2021-05-26
  • Engel, Samuel (1765), Memoires et observations geographiques et critiques sur la situation des pays septentrionaux de l'Asie et de l'Amerique, d'apres les relations les plus recentes. Auxquelles on a joint un Essai sur la route aux Indes par le nord, & sur un commerce tres vaste & tres riche a etablir dans la mer du Sud. Avec deux nouvelles cartes dressees conformement a ce systeme. Par Mr. *** (in French), Chez Antoine Chapuis, imprimeur, retrieved 2021-05-16
  • Engel, Samuel (1777), Herrn Samuel Engels ... Neuer Versuch über die Lage der nördlichen Gegenden von Asia und Amerika, und dem Versuch eines Wegs durch die Nordsee nach Indien: Mir drey Charten. Nebst denen Schriften so Hr. Daines Barrington in London zu Behauptung eben dieses herausgegeben (in German), Serint, retrieved 2021-05-26
  • Naville, René (1952), "Samuel Engel : premier américaniste suisse", Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Heimatkunde (in French), vol. 14, pp. 145–150, doi:10.5169/seals-242410, retrieved 2021-05-25
  • Pulver, Paul (1959), "Engel, Samuel", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 4, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 506–507; (full text online)
  • Lough, John (1973), The Contributors to the "Encyclopédie", London : Grant and Cutler, ISBN 978-0-900411-62-5, retrieved 2022-06-16
  • Michel, Hans A. (1985), "Das wissenschaftliche Bibliothekswesen Berns vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart : zum Jubiläum 450 Jahre Stadt- und Universitätsbibliothek Bern 1535–1985", Berner Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Heimatkunde (in German), vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 167–234, doi:10.5169/seals-246337, retrieved 2021-05-25
  • Phipps, Constantine John (1774), A voyage towards the North Pole : undertaken by His Majesty's command, 1773, London: Printed by W. Bowyer and J. Nichols for J. Nourse, ISBN 978-0-665-28500-4
  • Phipps, Constantine John; Engel, Samuel (1777), Reise nach dem Nordpol: Auf Befehl Ihro Königl. Großbrittannischen Majestät. Unternommen im Jahr 1773 (in German), bey der typographischen Gesellschaft, retrieved 2021-05-26
  • Savours, Ann (1984), ""A Very Interesting Point in Geography": The 1773 Phipps Expedition towards the North Pole", Arctic, 37 (4): 402–428, doi:10.14430/arctic2224, ISSN 0004-0843, JSTOR 40510304
  • Stuber, Martin (2000-11-27), "Forschungsreisen im Studierzimmer. Zur Rezeption der Grossen Nordischen Expedition (1733-1743) bei Albrecht von Haller und Samuel Engel", Gesnerus (in German), 57 (3–4): 161–181, doi:10.1163/22977953-0570304003, retrieved 2021-05-25
  • Stuber, Martin (2008-02-12), "Engel, Samuel", Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz (in German), retrieved 2021-05-25
  • Watts, Geo. B. (1954), "The Supplément and the Table analytique et raisonnée of the Encyclopédie", The French Review, 28 (1): 4–19, ISSN 0016-111X, JSTOR 381939, retrieved 2021-05-29

December 28, 2022
samuel, engel, screenwriter, samuel, engel, december, 1702, march, 1784, swiss, librarian, civil, servant, economist, agronomist, working, bern, introduced, innovations, several, fields, convinced, existence, northeast, passage, published, several, influential. For the screenwriter see Samuel G Engel Samuel Engel 2 December 1702 26 March 1784 was a Swiss librarian civil servant economist and agronomist working in Bern who introduced innovations in several fields He was convinced of the existence of a Northeast Passage and published several influential books about the Arctic Samuel Engel 1776 wash drawing by Balthasar Anton Dunker Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Professional career 3 Geography 4 References 4 1 Footnotes 4 2 BibliographyEarly life and education EditEngel was born in Bern as son of Burkhard Engel 1662 1750 Landvogt of the Canton of Bern in Frienisberg Abbey and Rosina Fischer died 1752 1 He studied at the University of Bern from 1718 to 1722 2 preparing for a career in the civil service After some travels he passed the exam as a notary 1 in 1726 2 Professional career EditEngel worked as an administrator for orphanages from 1724 From 1736 to 1748 he was head librarian of the city library which was modernised under his leadership 2 A bibliophile and collector he bought so many books at auctions that he had to sell several again at a loss in 1744 3 Engel started the use of alphabetised catalogues and pioneered facsimile with a 1746 edition of the Carmen de motibus Siculis 2 4 He was elected a member of the Grand Council of Bern in 1745 and was Landvogt in Aarberg 1748 1754 and Echallens 1760 1765 2 He worked to improve agriculture and forestry was one of the founders of the Okonomische Gesellschaft de in 1759 and introduced potato farming to the people of Vaud in Nyon in 1770 71 1 Geography Edit HMS Racehorse and HMS Carcass stuck in the ice Engel was interested in the geography of North America from an early age and collected many relevant rare books 5 From 1735 he participated in the scholarly debate about the existence of a land bridge between North America and Asia and was closely interested in the Great Northern Expedition especially in the reports of Johann Georg Gmelin who was in contact with his cousin and friend Albrecht von Haller 6 Despite the observations published by Gmelin Engel was convinced that an ice free Northeast Passage existed and tried unsuccessfully to persuade the British Admiralty to send an expedition 5 The theory was that sea water could not freeze so any ice in the polar sea must originate from freshwater rivers and be seasonal 7 Engel s 1765 book Memoires et observations geographiques et critiques sur la situation des pays septentrionaux de l Asie et de l Amerique 8 suggesting the existence of a vast empty sea near the North Pole had a great influence in England and France 9 A follower of Engel Royal Society vice president Daines Barrington wrote to the First Lord of the Admiralty Lord Sandwich in January 1773 and suggested an expedition to the North Pole 9 The Admiralty quickly started preparations and the ships HMS Racehorse and HMS Carcass commanded by Constantine John Phipps and Skeffington Lutwidge were sent on the 1773 Phipps expedition towards the North Pole The Admiralty s instructions for Phipps from 25 May 1773 stated he should proceed up to the North Pole or as far towards it as you are able carefully avoiding the errors of former navigators by keeping as much as possible in the open sea and as nearly upon a meridian to the said Pole as the ice or other obstructions you meet with will admit of If you arrive at the Pole and should even find the sea so open as to admit of a free navigation on the opposite meridian you are not to proceed any further 10 However the expedition got stuck in ice near Svalbard and only extricated itself after great difficulties 11 Despite this Engel and Barrington continued to insist that an ice free polar sea existed Engel later translated Phipps report of the voyage A voyage towards the North Pole 12 into German 13 as Reise nach dem Nordpol Auf Befehl Ihro Konigl Grossbrittannischen Majestat Unternommen im Jahr 1773 14 In his 1777 book Neuer Versuch uber die Lage der nordlichen Gegenden von Asia und Amerika und dem Versuch eines Wegs durch die Nordsee nach Indien 15 he accused the Russian government of falsifying maps and defended his theories about the Northeast Passage 5 Devices to produce potato flour from the Suite du Recueil de planches sur les sciences les arts liberaux et les arts mechaniques Engel contributed articles on the geography of Northern Asia and America for Charles Joseph Panckoucke s supplement to Diderots Encyclopedie 16 He also wrote an article about the cultivation and culinary use of the potato 17 In total he contributed seven articles to volumes I IV 18 References EditFootnotes Edit a b c Pulver 1959 a b c d e Stuber 2008 Michel 1985 p 186 Michel 1985 pp 186 187 a b c Naville 1952 Stuber 2000 pp 175 176 Beaglehole 1967 p xlix Engel 1765 a b Savours 1984 p 403 Savours 1984 p 409 Savours 1984 pp 417 421 Phipps 1774 Savours 1984 p 422 Phipps amp Engel 1777 Engel 1777 Watts 1954 p 13 Lough 1973 p 63 Lough 1973 p 57 Bibliography Edit Beaglehole John Cawte 1967 The voyage of the Resolution and Discovery 1776 1780 Cambridge Cambridge Univ Press OCLC 247236791 retrieved 2021 05 26 Engel Samuel 1765 Memoires et observations geographiques et critiques sur la situation des pays septentrionaux de l Asie et de l Amerique d apres les relations les plus recentes Auxquelles on a joint un Essai sur la route aux Indes par le nord amp sur un commerce tres vaste amp tres riche a etablir dans la mer du Sud Avec deux nouvelles cartes dressees conformement a ce systeme Par Mr in French Chez Antoine Chapuis imprimeur retrieved 2021 05 16 Engel Samuel 1777 Herrn Samuel Engels Neuer Versuch uber die Lage der nordlichen Gegenden von Asia und Amerika und dem Versuch eines Wegs durch die Nordsee nach Indien Mir drey Charten Nebst denen Schriften so Hr Daines Barrington in London zu Behauptung eben dieses herausgegeben in German Serint retrieved 2021 05 26 Naville Rene 1952 Samuel Engel premier americaniste suisse Berner Zeitschrift fur Geschichte und Heimatkunde in French vol 14 pp 145 150 doi 10 5169 seals 242410 retrieved 2021 05 25 Pulver Paul 1959 Engel Samuel Neue Deutsche Biographie in German vol 4 Berlin Duncker amp Humblot pp 506 507 full text online Lough John 1973 The Contributors to the Encyclopedie London Grant and Cutler ISBN 978 0 900411 62 5 retrieved 2022 06 16 Michel Hans A 1985 Das wissenschaftliche Bibliothekswesen Berns vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart zum Jubilaum 450 Jahre Stadt und Universitatsbibliothek Bern 1535 1985 Berner Zeitschrift fur Geschichte und Heimatkunde in German vol 47 no 3 pp 167 234 doi 10 5169 seals 246337 retrieved 2021 05 25 Phipps Constantine John 1774 A voyage towards the North Pole undertaken by His Majesty s command 1773 London Printed by W Bowyer and J Nichols for J Nourse ISBN 978 0 665 28500 4 Phipps Constantine John Engel Samuel 1777 Reise nach dem Nordpol Auf Befehl Ihro Konigl Grossbrittannischen Majestat Unternommen im Jahr 1773 in German bey der typographischen Gesellschaft retrieved 2021 05 26 Savours Ann 1984 A Very Interesting Point in Geography The 1773 Phipps Expedition towards the North Pole Arctic 37 4 402 428 doi 10 14430 arctic2224 ISSN 0004 0843 JSTOR 40510304 Stuber Martin 2000 11 27 Forschungsreisen im Studierzimmer Zur Rezeption der Grossen Nordischen Expedition 1733 1743 bei Albrecht von Haller und Samuel Engel Gesnerus in German 57 3 4 161 181 doi 10 1163 22977953 0570304003 retrieved 2021 05 25 Stuber Martin 2008 02 12 Engel Samuel Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz in German retrieved 2021 05 25 Watts Geo B 1954 The Supplement and the Table analytique et raisonnee of the Encyclopedie The French Review 28 1 4 19 ISSN 0016 111X JSTOR 381939 retrieved 2021 05 29 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Samuel Engel amp oldid 1124361848, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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