Georg Forster

Johann Georg Adam Forster (November 26, 1754 ? January 10, 1794) was a German botanical collector, artist, and revolutionist born in Poland. He took part in James Cook's second expedition to the Pacific.

Forster's heritage

After the death of Forser his works, except for the professional circles, were almost completely forgotten which was partly due to his involvement in the French revolution. However, his reception was changing with the changes in politics.

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In the time of nationalism after the Napoleon times he was regarded in Germany as a "traitor of the nation" notably among the literats and scientists. This attitude rose even though the philosopher Friedrich Schlegel at the beginning of 19th century wrote about Forster: "Among all the real writers no one breathes so much the spirit of free progression as Georg Forster?. In the Germany of Wilhelm II and first of all in the Third Reich his memory was ostracized, despite the fact that both states persecuted Poles using stereotypes expressed by Forster. GDR, in turn, profited from his memory and tried to connect him as a scientist and revolutionist to its tradition. For instance, that is why the GDR research station on Antarctica was given Forster's name on July 1st, 1987. The search of democratic traditions in the German history led also to a more diversified picture of him in West Germany. His reputation as one of first and one of the most outstanding German ethnologist is indisputable. His works testify that he developed ethnology in Germany so that it could stand as a separate branch of science.

Related Topics:
Friedrich Schlegel - Wilhelm II - Third Reich - GDR - Antarctica - West Germany - Ethnologist

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In Botanics, the standard botanical author abbreviation G.Forst. is applied to plants described by him.

Related Topics:
Botanics - Botanical author abbreviation - Plants

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Despite his Scottish roots and being born in Polish Royal Prussia, Forster was of German heritage and he considered himself as such. He also expressed extreme anti-Polish views {{ref|Lawaty}}, describing Poles scathingly in his private letters {{ref|Krause}} (e.g. calling Poles "cattle in human form"{{ref|Booksbooks}}), thus being one of the precursors of traditional antipolonism in Prussia. He was also the author of anti-Polish term"Polnische Wirtschaft" stereotype {{ref|Stasiewski}}, that he used in one of his letters in 1784, and which found wide usage in German culture.

Related Topics:
Royal Prussia - Antipolonism - Prussia - Stereotype - 1784

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