Gregor von Helmersen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregor von Helmersen
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| Born | 11 October [O.S. 29 September] 1803 Duckershof Manor, Duckershof, Kreis Dorpat, Governorate of Livonia, Russian Empire (present-day Kammeri, Tartu County, Estonia)
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| Died | 15 February [O.S. 3 February] 1885 (aged 81) |
| Resting place | Raadi Cemetery, Tartu, Estonia |
| Nationality | Baltic German |
| Citizenship | Russian |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology |
Gregor von Helmersen (born October 11, 1803 – died February 15, 1885) was an important geologist from the Baltic German region. He spent his life studying the Earth's rocks and how they formed, especially in the Russian Empire.
Who Was Gregor von Helmersen?
Gregor von Helmersen was born in a place called Duckershof, which is now in Estonia. He went to a special school in Saint Petersburg, a big city in Russia. After finishing school, he studied at the University of Tartu and graduated in 1825.
He then started working for the government's finance department. He even traveled with a famous explorer named Alexander von Humboldt. Helmersen was chosen to get more education, so he went to universities in Germany. There, he learned even more about geology.
In 1835, he joined the Corps of Mining Engineers. This group focused on finding and digging up valuable minerals. By 1838, he became a professor of geology at the Saint Petersburg Mining University. He later became the director of this important institute.
Exploring Russia's Earth
Gregor von Helmersen was very active in the world of science. In 1839, he helped start the first science magazine in Russia. It was called Beiträge zur Kenntniss des Russischen Reiches. This magazine shared new discoveries about Russia's nature.
In 1850, he became a top scientist at the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. He also helped create the Russian Geological Committee in 1882. He was its very first leader. This committee was important for organizing geological research in Russia.
Helmersen wrote many books and papers about the geology of Russia. He was especially interested in finding coal and other important minerals. He also helped create detailed geological maps of Russia. These maps showed where different rocks and minerals could be found.
He continued his geological work even when he was old. One of his later works was about large rocks called "wanderblöcke" and how they moved across Russia. Most of his important writings were published by the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
Images for kids
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The coat of arms of the Helmersen family from 1643.
