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Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth, Geognost, Member of Parliament, Architect and Constructor of the Linthkanal

  • History of Earth Sciences
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Abstract

The Eschers, an old Swiss family which for many generations were members of the Council of Zurich, were dedicated to technical and economic development. Among them were numbered merchants, important librarians, historians, engineers and geoscientists. Hans Conrad Escher (1767–1823) was a merchant, naturalist, engineer, Member of Parliament, statesman and a genius illustrator of landscapes, who created the first geologically relevant and encompassing view of the Swiss Alps, including the first 360° panorama drawings. Showing enormous prescience, he designed and initiated the canalization of the Linth river in Glarus and led this enormous work of geological engineering and river regulation from start to finish.

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Fig. 1

2002 Portraits collection ETH library Zürich

Fig. 2

(Original: Züricher Zentralbibliothek from Solar 1974)

Fig. 3

(Original: Zurich Central Library from Solar 1974)

Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Taken from: http://www.linth-escher.ch/de/linthwerk_in_kuerze.htm

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Notes

  1. Meant here in the sense of coloring, colored.

  2. David Breitinger 1737–1817 teacher in mathematics, who reformed the Swiss school system.

  3. Horace-Bénédict de Saussure 1740–1799, naturalist, the first person to run scientific experiments on the summit of Mont Blanc in 1787.

References

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Acknowledgements

We thank Petra Gürster Regensburg University Library, Thomas Hirche, Stuttgart University Library, Dr. Meda Diana Hotea ETH-Library Zurich (Switzerland) and the “Austrian National Library” (map collection) Vienna for their support in obtaining references and pictures. Prof. Dr. Colin Devey from GEOMAR critically read the text and improved the English wording, which is gratefully acknowledged. Dr. Sascha Flögel is thanked for his editorial handling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GEOMAR Helmholtz Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel, Wischhofstr. 1-3, 24148, Kiel, Germany

    Wolf-Christian Dullo

  2. Zwiesel, Germany

    Fritz A. Pfaffl

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  1. Wolf-Christian Dullo
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  2. Fritz A. Pfaffl
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Correspondence to Wolf-Christian Dullo.

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531_2018_1626_MOESM1_ESM.jpg

Part from the circular view of Fieudo at the Gotthardt drawn in the summer of 1792. The panorama view is 3.5 m long. (Original: Zurich Central Library from Solar 1974). (JPEG 4889 KB)

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Dullo, WC., Pfaffl, F.A. Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth, Geognost, Member of Parliament, Architect and Constructor of the Linthkanal. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 107, 2639–2644 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-018-1626-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-018-1626-6

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