Anton Friedrich Büsching facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anton Friedrich Busching
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Anton Friedrich Büsching
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| Born | September 27, 1724 Stadthagen in Schaumburg-Lippe
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| Died | 28 May 1793 (aged 68) |
| Occupation | German theologian and geographer |
| Children | Johann Gustav Gottlieb Büsching |
Anton Friedrich Büsching (born September 27, 1724 – died May 28, 1793) was a German expert in many fields. He was a geographer (someone who studies the Earth's features), a historian, a teacher, and a theologian (someone who studies religion). His most famous book, Erdbeschreibung (which means "Earth description"), was the first geography book to be truly scientific. He also worked hard to improve education.
Contents
Anton Friedrich Büsching's Life
Early Life and Education
Anton Friedrich Büsching was born in Stadthagen, a town in Schaumburg-Lippe, on September 27, 1724. When he was young, he had a difficult time at home. However, a kind clergyman named Hauber saw how talented he was.
Mr. Hauber decided to teach Anton for free. Later, he helped Anton continue his studies at Halle. Anton worked very hard and made many friends there. In 1748, he became a tutor for the family of Count zu Lynar. The Count was traveling to St Petersburg as an ambassador.
A New Path: Geography
On the journey to St. Petersburg, Büsching noticed something important. He realized that the study of geography was not very good at that time. He decided he wanted to spend his life making it better.
He soon left the Count's family. He moved to Copenhagen and focused completely on geography. In 1752, he published a short book. It was called Description of the Counties of Schleswig and Holstein. This book showed what he hoped to achieve in geography.
Moving to Göttingen and St. Petersburg
In 1754, Büsching moved to Göttingen. There, he married a poet named Christiana Dilthey. He wanted to become a professor of theology, but his different ideas about Lutheran beliefs stopped him. However, he was still made a professor of philosophy.
In 1761, he accepted an invitation to work in St Petersburg. He became a minister for a German Protestant church there. He also started a German-language secondary school. Under his leadership, this school quickly became one of the best in northern Europe.
Return to Germany and Educational Impact
Büsching had a disagreement with Marshal Münich. Because of this, he decided to leave St. Petersburg in 1765. The Empress offered him high positions, but he still chose to return to central Europe.
Back in Germany, he first lived in Altona. The next year, in 1766, he was asked to lead a famous school in Berlin. This school was called the Greyfriars Gymnasium (German: Gymnasium zum Grauen Kloster). It had been created by Frederick the Great.
At this school, Büsching watched over every student's progress. He also checked even the smallest details to make sure the school was doing well. Besides this, he gave lectures on the history of arts and sciences. His work and example greatly improved education across Prussia. The government recognized how valuable his services were. They even allowed his many letters to be sent for free.
Anton Friedrich Büsching passed away in Berlin on May 28, 1793.
Büsching's Important Works
Büsching wrote more than a hundred works. These books were about geography, history, education, and religion. He is most famous for his geography books. He is seen as the person who created "statistical geography." This is a way of studying geography using facts and numbers.
His most important work is Erdebeschreibung (Earth description). It has seven parts. The first four parts, which cover Europe, were published between 1754 and 1761. They were translated into many languages. The fifth part came out in 1768. It was the first volume about Asia, covering Turkey and Arabia. This part showed how much research he did and is often considered his best work.
Büsching also edited a valuable collection called Magazin für die neue Historie und Geographie. This magazine had 23 volumes and was published from 1767 to 1793. He also edited Wochentliche Nachrichten von neuen Landkarten (Weekly News of New Maps).
His books on education were also very popular. He wrote many articles for his Magazin. He also created a collection of biographies called Beiträge zur Lebensgeschichte merkwürdiger Personen. This included a detailed life story of Frederick the Great. His writings about religion were not as successful.
After he died, other geographers like Matthias Christian Sprengel continued his important work.
Family Life
Anton Friedrich Büsching's son, Johann Gustav Gottlieb Büsching, became a well-known expert in old objects and history.
See Also
In Spanish: Anton Friedrich Büsching para niños
