Abstract
Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld (1792-1866) was born into a family later known mainly for its explorers, scientists and seafarers. One of his uncles was the alchemist and utopist August Nordenskiöld, and one of his sons, Adolf Nordenskiöld, would be known as the leader of the Vega expedition, the first ever to navigate through the North-East Passage.
The study on Nils Nordenskiöld, known as the father of Finnish mineralogy, introduces the reader to the entire early phase of the Finnish scientific community and its international academic networks. In this study, I have chosen to call Nordenskiöld also the forefather of Finnish geology, for the following reasons. At the beginning of the 19th century, he was practically the only Finn who was interested in geology in general, and in Finnish geology in particular. As the Superintendent of the newly established Finnish Mining Board, from 1823 onwards, he led the mine prospecting in Finland with modest results, convincing him, from the 1840s onwards, of the importance of an overall geological mapping of the Grand-Duchy. To his great disappointment, however, the project did not materialize during his lifetime. The work was begun only in 1877, eleven years after his death.
From the 1820s onwards, Nils Nordenskiöld established personal academic relations with foreign scientists in Sweden, Russia, Germany, France and Great Britain. While taking his grand tour in 1820-1823, Nordenskiöld made many lifelong acquaintances with many European mineralogists and geologists. During his early travels he was elected a foreign member of several scientific associations in the above countries, of which Great Britain was his favorite. In 1823 he was included in the foreign list of the Geological Society of London (see page ), in 1851 he was elected a Foreign Member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1864 he became a Honorary Member of the Royal Geographical Society, thanks to his study Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Schrammen in Finnland.
Keywords: mine prospecting, history of geology, history of mineralogy, scientific relations, early 19th century, non-fiction.
The study on Nils Nordenskiöld, known as the father of Finnish mineralogy, introduces the reader to the entire early phase of the Finnish scientific community and its international academic networks. In this study, I have chosen to call Nordenskiöld also the forefather of Finnish geology, for the following reasons. At the beginning of the 19th century, he was practically the only Finn who was interested in geology in general, and in Finnish geology in particular. As the Superintendent of the newly established Finnish Mining Board, from 1823 onwards, he led the mine prospecting in Finland with modest results, convincing him, from the 1840s onwards, of the importance of an overall geological mapping of the Grand-Duchy. To his great disappointment, however, the project did not materialize during his lifetime. The work was begun only in 1877, eleven years after his death.
From the 1820s onwards, Nils Nordenskiöld established personal academic relations with foreign scientists in Sweden, Russia, Germany, France and Great Britain. While taking his grand tour in 1820-1823, Nordenskiöld made many lifelong acquaintances with many European mineralogists and geologists. During his early travels he was elected a foreign member of several scientific associations in the above countries, of which Great Britain was his favorite. In 1823 he was included in the foreign list of the Geological Society of London (see page ), in 1851 he was elected a Foreign Member of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1864 he became a Honorary Member of the Royal Geographical Society, thanks to his study Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Schrammen in Finnland.
Keywords: mine prospecting, history of geology, history of mineralogy, scientific relations, early 19th century, non-fiction.
| Translated title of the contribution | Nils Gustaf Nordenskiöld - the life of a scientist and mining official |
|---|---|
| Original language | Finnish |
| Place of Publication | Helsinki |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Societas Scientiarum Fennica |
| Number of pages | 223 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-951-653-431-5 |
| Publication status | Published - 2019 |
| MoE publication type | C1 Scientific book |
Publication series
| Name | Bidrag till kännedom av Finlands natur och folk |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Finska Vetenskaps-Societeten |
| No. | 208 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0067-8481 |
Fields of Science
- 615 History and Archaeology
- mine prospecting, history of geology, history of mineralogy, scientific relations, early 19th century