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When Emil Tietze died in Vienna on March 4, 1931 at the age of 86, a long geological life had come to an end. His active professional life lasted longer than usual, far too long than he would have liked. He held high positions and was the fifth director of the k.k. for over 16 years from 1902. Geological Reichsanstalt and from 1900 to 1908 the 15th President of the k.k. geographical society in Vienna.
Emil Ernst August was born on June 15, 1845 in Breslau (now Wrocław in Poland) as the son of a manufacturer, attended school there, passed his school leaving examination at Easter 1864 and studied natural sciences at the universities in Breslau and Tübingen (Germany). In 1869 he received his doctorate "On the Devonian layers of Ebersdorf not far from Neurode in the County of Glatz" (Defensio: July 20, 1869). But neither Breslau nor Tübingen held the newly qualified geologist; He was drawn to the imperial capital and residential city of Vienna to the k.k., founded in 1849. Geological Reichsanstalt. At that time it was under the direction of Francis v. Hauer (1822–1899) and was a leader in geology.
Back then, it was an honor for young geologists to work there and earn their first spurs. Tietze started at the renowned institution on August 1, 1870 as a 25-year-old intern. His first assignment took him to Serbia. He published the results in the fall of 1870 under the title “Geological Notes from Northeastern Serbia” (34 pages). In later years he mapped the eastern Galician Carpathians and extended his area of work to the Russian border. A geological map of Lemberg dates from 1880 and was published in 1882 with extensive descriptions. Between 1889 and 1901 he did extensive mapping in Moravia.
This official work was interrupted by external orders. This was the case in the summer of 1879 together with his colleagues, Eduard v., who was six years older than him. Mojsisovics and Alexander Bittner, who is five years younger than him, produced a "geological overview map of Bosnia 1:300,000". However, Tietze spent the years 1873 to 1875 in Persia.
Anyone who reads his work will here and there come across personal comments that go beyond the noble science. When he mentions the "inconvenience" of the trip in Serbia, he counters that the "wealth of scientific booty" is sufficient compensation. He gave the k.k. audience personal, almost intimate insights into his time as a young geologist in Persia. Geographical Society. On January 26, 1886, he spoke about his work and experiences between the summer of 1873 and the end of 1875. For the first year he worked for an English company. When the job was completed, the Persian government took him under contract. He soon noticed that many things were different here than in Vienna. The Persian authorities often took a long time to pay their salaries. Tietze said: "It sometimes seemed as if the government that had hired me had completely forgotten about my existence." But he wasn't completely forgotten, as the following episode, which sounds like a fairy tale from the Arabian Nights, shows.
When Tietze was staying in Niāvarān at the foot of the Elburz Mountains, a popular summer resort, he was summoned to the king, who resided here with his court. He was supposed to identify a "water-colored stone about the size of a walnut", which Tietze clearly recognized as quartz [= rock crystal], for the king - he was given to understand - as a diamond. The geologist was in crisis of conscience.
Let's follow Tietze's dilemma in his own words: "'What is this?' asked His Majesty. Noticing how I hesitated in my answer, he continued: 'I found this stone on the slope of the Demavend itself.' 'A stone,' I replied, 'that your Majesty has found, can only be a precious stone.' 'So is it a diamond,' asked the king." Tietze had expected this question. Even though he was in the service of the court, he remained steadfast; the scientist in him triumphed. Tietze said: “No.” However, he was able to verify a much smaller stone from the king's hand as a diamond. The king now thought he could draw conclusions from one stone to the other. Tietze reacted diplomatically: "'As I have already indicated to Your Majesty,' I said, 'I have not yet had the opportunity to examine stones of the type like this one and I am therefore of the opinion that we are dealing with a previously unknown mineral species.'" The king was satisfied with this, he felt like the discoverer of a new mineral and Tietze was able to look in the mirror with this scientific white lie.
This nice incident shows that even works with awkward titles such as "On Soil Plastics and the Geological Conditions of Persia" can be worthwhile reading with entertainment value even after 140 years.
After his return from the Orient in 1875, he was initially appointed adjunct and in 1877 geologist. At the beginning of October 1879 he married 20-year-old Rosa von Hauer, the daughter of Franz von Hauer, his director. The Tietzes had four children, a son and three daughters; they always lived in the third district (Landstrasse). First at Messenhausergasse 1, then at Landstraßer Hauptstrasse (number 90, later at number 6); all within walking distance of the Reich Geological Institute at Rasumofskygasse 23. They had a country estate in Schleinz, in southern Lower Austria.
The scientific footsteps of the now father-in-law were big. In 1873, Hauer presented a highly acclaimed geological map of the monarchy in 12 sheets at the Vienna World Exhibition. Hauer knew how to take the Reichsanstalt to new heights. No wonder that the successful science organizer was appointed director of the Natural History Museum in 1885. He was succeeded as director by Dionýs Štúr, who became Tietze's new superior. Tietze was appointed chief geologist in 1885. In 1901, when Mojsisovics, with whom he was in Bosnia, retired at the age of 62, the next career move came: deputy director. On July 16, 1902, he took over the management from his friend Guido Stache, which he held as long-term director until the end of December 1918.
When Hauer died on March 20, 1899, Tietze wrote his father-in-law's obituary. In no fewer than 148 pages, he not only honored his life and work, but also embedded Hauer's work in a scientific history of the second half of the 19th century. This comprehensive view outside the box is what characterized Tietze and may well be based on his international activities.
In the annual report of 1918, Tietze admits that he had "intentions of resigning" even "before the outbreak of the great war" (July 28, 1914) (page 40). An understandable thought from the then 69-year-old. But things were to turn out differently. Tietze was asked to stay. Nobody thought that the war would last four years. On January 31, 1918, he submitted his pension application. However, “the great political upheaval of things,” as he calls the developments of 1918, meant things turned out differently; Tietze had to stay until the end of December.
The fourth year of the war, 1918, was also hard in Austria; everything was lacking. As Tietze noted, geological recording work was hardly or not at all possible. "As a result of excessively high prices and insurmountable difficulties in obtaining food, section geologist Dr. Otto Ampferer was unable to carry out the recording work planned for the summer of 1918 in the area of the 'Schneeberg–St. Aegyd' paper."
With the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria on November 12, 1918, the world also changed for geologists. Tietze in retrospect (annual report 1918): "... when I took office and even a year ago, I could not have imagined that I would be the last director of the Geological Institute in old Austria, which has now been dissolved and disintegrated into its various parts."
The political reorganization also had an impact on personnel. Karl Hinterlechner (1874–1932), born in Laibach (Slovenia), and Geza v., who came from Bochnia (Poland). Bukowski (1858–1937) were henceforth considered foreigners and had to give up their position in the republic's geological civil service. With a decree of August 28, 1919, the k.k. was formally over. Geological Reichsanstalt, from then on the institution founded in 1849 operated as the Geological State Institute (today: GeoSphere Austria).
With these words on March 6, 1931, “Der Abend” paid tribute to the geologist who had died two days earlier. Based on his work in Persia, Tietze was well-traveled. Among other things, he was a visitor and delegate at the international geological congresses in 1881 in Bologna (Italy), 1891 in Washington (USA), 1893 in Zurich (Switzerland), 1897 in St. Petersburg (Russia) and 1900 in Paris (France). He had to organize the geological congress in Vienna in 1903, which he did with confidence. The science historian Marianne Klemun speaks of “Emil Tietze as Driving Force”. But that wasn't enough, Tietze was also there at the following congresses, in 1906 in Mexico, 1910 in Stockholm (Sweden) and 1913 in Toronto (Canada).
Back when there were no transatlantic flights, these journeys not only lasted several weeks, they could also be quite strenuous. This didn't seem to be a problem for Tietze; in his memories of April 21, 1930, he added: "On holiday trips I visited, among other things, various parts of the old Austria-Hungary and Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Greece, Syria, Palestine, Egypt and a few other points in North Africa, and I also visited Italy, Switzerland and France several times."
Thanks to his industriousness, diverse research and international activities, Tietze was a man who has received numerous awards and honours. The local geographers awarded him their highest award, the Franz von Hauer Medal. He was, as Lukas Scales noted on his 80th birthday, "an elected member of Belgian, English, Serbian, Russian, Romanian, American and Mexican scientific societies and academies." But the "Vienna Academy of Sciences didn't discover him...", as Glauben noted with a side-swipe.
Tietze also had a long list of scientific publications; a pride of researchers that is usually published in their obituaries. He also attached great importance to this: "It is my wish that the list of my publications be printed in full with the obituary that may appear in the publications of the Federal Geological Institute." To ensure this, he ordered that the additional costs were to be borne by the heirs, "in such a way that it really benefits this [=Federal Geological Survey] without the money in question having to be transferred to the ministry as the Federal Institute's income." Wilhelm Hammer's request was complied with with a "directory of Emil Tietze's publications". (Thomas Hofmann, March 13, 2026).