SECKENDORFF

AUSTRIA (see also List of Individuals)

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1.7.1845 Schweizerhalle/CH - 29.11.1886 Wien/A

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The German Arthur von Seckendorff was born close to Basel, Switzerland, and made his studies at the Dresden Polytechnic School until 1862. He graduated as a forest engineer from the University of Giessen in 1867 and was promoted in the same year also to a Doctor of philosophy. One year later he was appointed Lecturer in forestry. After a stay at the Zurich Federal Polytechnic, he was in 1870 appointed professor at the Marienbrunn Academy of Forestry close to Vienna, Austria. That institution was removed two years later in favor of the newly established Hochschule für Bodenkultur, to where Seckendorff was transferred as professor of forest sciences and director of the Institute of Forestry.

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Following a visit to the 1878 World Exhibition in Paris, von Seckendorff realized the significance of torrent rehabilitation for forest protection, and thus started working in this by then founded branch in Austria. His first contribution was the 1880 book relating to reforestation of valleys that were damaged both by human and natural actions, thereby including the French knowledge and by applying the fundamental ideas to Austrian conditions. Due to overwork and only a partial success with his proposals relative to his university and the Austrian State, von Seckendorff got into health problems which led to his premature death. He was considered the initiator of a novel attitude towards the significance of healthy and compact forests, especially after the large 1882 floods that damaged regions where forests did not protect valleys from erosion, debris flows and avalanches. His 1884 book was a summary of these findings and marked the initiation of international contributions of Austria to torrent hydraulics, with representatives such as Ferdinand Wang (1855-1917) and Josef Stiny (1880-1958).

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_{Böhmerle, K. (1887). Arthur Freiherr v. Seckendorff. Centralblatt für das Forstwesen 13: 3-14. P}

_{Ebner, P. (2001). Seckendorff von Gudent, Arthur Freiherr. Österreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815-1950 55: 80-81. Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften: Wien.}

_{Fiebiger, G. (1984). 100 Jahre Vorlesungen über Wildbachverbauung. Wildbach- und Lawinenverbau 48: 131-144. P}

_{Seckendorff, A. (1880). Studien über die Wiederbewaldung und Berasung der Gebirge. Gerold: Wien.}

_{Seckendorff, A. (1884). Verbauung der Wildbäche - Aufforstung und Berasung der Gebirgsgründe. Frick: Wien.}

_{Seckendorff, A. (1886). Das forstliche System der Wildbachverbauung. Selbstverlag: Wien.}