Hermann von Barth

Who was Hermann von Barth?

Hermann von Barth was a famous German mountaineer.

Hermann von Barth was born on 5 June 1845 at Eurasburg Castle. He initially studied law in Munich, where he was affiliated to the Corps Franconia. As a junior lawyer he began in 1868 in Berchtesgaden to explore the still largely unconquered Berchtesgaden Alps. From 1873 he studied natural sciences and, in 1876, deranged by fever, he committed suicide whilst on a research expedition in Africa. He died on 7 December 1876 in Sao Paolo de Loanda, Portuguese Angola.

Von Barth is most well known for his exploration of the Karwendel mountains. In summer 1870 he climbed, alone, 88 peaks. In 1871 he switched to the Wetterstein mountains and was the first to climb many peaks there as well. By 1869 he had explored the Allgäu Alps, climbing 44 summits, 3 of which were previously unconquered. He typically climbed alone. In 1874 he published the book Aus den Nördlichen Kalkalpen, in which he documented his experiences and tours. The work is viewed today as a classic amongst Alpine literature.