| Prince Maximilian of Wied |
Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian of Wied, born in 1782, was
one of eight childen born to an aristocratic Protestant family at their
hereditary estate in Neuwied, near the Rhine. His parents were
Friedrich Carl Count of Wied-Neuwied and Louise Wilhelmine
Countess of Sayn-Wittgenstein- Berleburg. As a younger son, he had
little chance of having to manage the family interests, and instead, he
turned his attention to natural history and attended the University of
Götingen. Afterwards, he entered the Prussian military and was
captured by the French in 1806. After his release, he resumed studies
and rejoined the Prussian service in 1813 as a major in a Hussar
Regiment. During the invasion of France in 1814, he earned an Iron
Cross..and also amassed a few pickled frogs of the amphibian variety;
since he had always kept specimens.
one of eight childen born to an aristocratic Protestant family at their
hereditary estate in Neuwied, near the Rhine. His parents were
Friedrich Carl Count of Wied-Neuwied and Louise Wilhelmine
Countess of Sayn-Wittgenstein- Berleburg. As a younger son, he had
little chance of having to manage the family interests, and instead, he
turned his attention to natural history and attended the University of
Götingen. Afterwards, he entered the Prussian military and was
captured by the French in 1806. After his release, he resumed studies
and rejoined the Prussian service in 1813 as a major in a Hussar
Regiment. During the invasion of France in 1814, he earned an Iron
Cross..and also amassed a few pickled frogs of the amphibian variety;
since he had always kept specimens.
He managed to preserve some reptiles and other goodies he found along the way in brandy. In Paris,
he met Alexander von Humboldt who talked him into going to South America, and in 1815, he
formed an expedition and did, collecting a wide variety of plant and animal specimens and studying
local Indians. He was accompanied by Friedrich Sello, the great German botanist and early scientific
explorers of the Brazilian flora, and David Dreidoppel, Wied's servant and hunter-taxidermist.
he met Alexander von Humboldt who talked him into going to South America, and in 1815, he
formed an expedition and did, collecting a wide variety of plant and animal specimens and studying
local Indians. He was accompanied by Friedrich Sello, the great German botanist and early scientific
explorers of the Brazilian flora, and David Dreidoppel, Wied's servant and hunter-taxidermist.
Later, he wanted to go to North America, and found a young
painter, Karl Bodmer who was born in 1809 to a cotton merchant
near Zurich. At 13, Bodmer had begun an apprenticeship in an
engraving shop owned by his uncle, and here he learned drawing
and painting. He and his brother were traveling Switzerland and
Germany sketching and painting when Wied approached him. In
April, 1832, 50 year old Wied, again accompanied by Dreidoppel
and also by Bodmer, set sail from Holland for America, where he
would spend two years on the Western frontier.
painter, Karl Bodmer who was born in 1809 to a cotton merchant
near Zurich. At 13, Bodmer had begun an apprenticeship in an
engraving shop owned by his uncle, and here he learned drawing
and painting. He and his brother were traveling Switzerland and
Germany sketching and painting when Wied approached him. In
April, 1832, 50 year old Wied, again accompanied by Dreidoppel
and also by Bodmer, set sail from Holland for America, where he
would spend two years on the Western frontier.
Arriving in Boston, Massachusetts, on July 4, 1832, his entourage
proceeded westward by stagecoach to Pittsburgh, they sailed by
steamboat to Indiana. Trekking north on the Wabash River, they
proceeded to St. Louis, Missouri, where they met retired explorer
William Clark. In April of 1833, they went up the Missouri River
to Nebraska, then South Dakota near the North Dakota-Montana
border. In July, they continued to Montana.
proceeded westward by stagecoach to Pittsburgh, they sailed by
steamboat to Indiana. Trekking north on the Wabash River, they
proceeded to St. Louis, Missouri, where they met retired explorer
William Clark. In April of 1833, they went up the Missouri River
to Nebraska, then South Dakota near the North Dakota-Montana
border. In July, they continued to Montana.
However, his observations of Indians accompanied by hundreds of Bodmer's drawings and
paintings, were priceless enough that he published them, and amid delays and difficulties, an
illustrated account of the journey appeared in a two volume German edition, a three volume French
edition and an inferior, over-edited, one volume English version where some matters were considered
too "indelicate" for the English and omitted. All were very expensive to purchase. Today, there are
fewer than twenty known editions of Wied's journal in the United States.
paintings, were priceless enough that he published them, and amid delays and difficulties, an
illustrated account of the journey appeared in a two volume German edition, a three volume French
edition and an inferior, over-edited, one volume English version where some matters were considered
too "indelicate" for the English and omitted. All were very expensive to purchase. Today, there are
fewer than twenty known editions of Wied's journal in the United States.
Bodmer and Wied parted company. Bodmer, who had so masterfully executed the essence of the
North American Indian, was cynical at the financial failure he experienced from the escapade, and
rarely painted people again. He died poor and relatively unknown in Paris in 1893. Wied spent his
remaining years in quiet study, sending all over the globe for the specimen collection he kept at
Neuwied. His greatest contributions were his studies of native people. He tended to report what he
observed as accurately as possible and worked diligently at his studies until he died on February 3,
1867. Wied's legacy also survives in both North and South America in the nomenclature of many
plants and animals, such as the orchid Maxillaria neuwiedii and the bird "Maximilian's Parrot" Pionus
maximiliani.
North American Indian, was cynical at the financial failure he experienced from the escapade, and
rarely painted people again. He died poor and relatively unknown in Paris in 1893. Wied spent his
remaining years in quiet study, sending all over the globe for the specimen collection he kept at
Neuwied. His greatest contributions were his studies of native people. He tended to report what he
observed as accurately as possible and worked diligently at his studies until he died on February 3,
1867. Wied's legacy also survives in both North and South America in the nomenclature of many
plants and animals, such as the orchid Maxillaria neuwiedii and the bird "Maximilian's Parrot" Pionus
maximiliani.
His magnificent collections were largely dispersed or forgotten after his death. In 1870, the Museum
of Natural History in New York acquired his natural history collection containing over 4,000 stuffed
birds, 600 mammals, and 2,000 fishes and reptiles, and the Museum für Völkerkunde (Museum for
Ethnology) in West Berlin and the Linden Museum in Stuttgart received his Plains Indians artifacts.
Remaining material at Neuwied was basically hidden for decades. After the Second World War, Dr.
Josef Roeder, a Koblenz museum director, found some of Wied's diaries and correspondence and
over 400 of Bodmer's original watercolors and sketches while researching at the family archives.
They were later sold by the Wied family and are now in US museums.
of Natural History in New York acquired his natural history collection containing over 4,000 stuffed
birds, 600 mammals, and 2,000 fishes and reptiles, and the Museum für Völkerkunde (Museum for
Ethnology) in West Berlin and the Linden Museum in Stuttgart received his Plains Indians artifacts.
Remaining material at Neuwied was basically hidden for decades. After the Second World War, Dr.
Josef Roeder, a Koblenz museum director, found some of Wied's diaries and correspondence and
over 400 of Bodmer's original watercolors and sketches while researching at the family archives.
They were later sold by the Wied family and are now in US museums.
The oldest proof of human settlement in the area of the today's Neuwied is an ice-age hunting
encampment, and since Celtic and Roman time the area was permanently settled. It is on the right
bank of the Rhine river near the mouth of the Wied stream. Neuwied was mentioned in documents
from the 8th century, and was the home of the Wied counts from before 1129. It was impoverished
during the Thirty Years War, and obtained municipal rights in 1653 from Ferdinand III.
encampment, and since Celtic and Roman time the area was permanently settled. It is on the right
bank of the Rhine river near the mouth of the Wied stream. Neuwied was mentioned in documents
from the 8th century, and was the home of the Wied counts from before 1129. It was impoverished
during the Thirty Years War, and obtained municipal rights in 1653 from Ferdinand III.
The Count Friedrich III zu Wied shifted his residence to Neuwied, and most other parts of the town
date back to the Medieval or Roman times. Neuwied was an 'open town' without fortifications and
no restrictions for settlers, and it was destroyed in 1694 by French troops. The policy of religious
tolerance set in place by Count Friedrich III zu Wied continued and lured numerous immigrants into
the young city.
date back to the Medieval or Roman times. Neuwied was an 'open town' without fortifications and
no restrictions for settlers, and it was destroyed in 1694 by French troops. The policy of religious
tolerance set in place by Count Friedrich III zu Wied continued and lured numerous immigrants into
the young city.
Accompanied by his retinue, he journeyed for two years in
unknown and unexplored regions of eastern Brazil, collecting
exotic animals and plants and locating isolated Indian tribes whose
habits and languages he recorded and sketched before returning to
Europe in 1817. He composed a two-volume narrative, then a
four-volume, beautifully illustrated work on Brazilian natural
history and also wrote articles. Even today, some of his work is
still a major source of information about these obscure, now
vanished tribes.
unknown and unexplored regions of eastern Brazil, collecting
exotic animals and plants and locating isolated Indian tribes whose
habits and languages he recorded and sketched before returning to
Europe in 1817. He composed a two-volume narrative, then a
four-volume, beautifully illustrated work on Brazilian natural
history and also wrote articles. Even today, some of his work is
still a major source of information about these obscure, now
vanished tribes.
He was uninspired by the western prairies and generally disliked the American culture, or lack
thereof. He found their harsh climate uncomfortable, and his health suffered on the journey. His
work in United States was not as much of a novelty as were his discoveries in Brazil. The journey
was extremely rigorous, not without danger, and they experienced several setbacks. At various
times they got lost on the prairie, saw prairie fires, suffered cold, wet and heat, and got trapped in
fierce storms. In 1835, the steamer carrying his extensive collections and specimens sunk.
thereof. He found their harsh climate uncomfortable, and his health suffered on the journey. His
work in United States was not as much of a novelty as were his discoveries in Brazil. The journey
was extremely rigorous, not without danger, and they experienced several setbacks. At various
times they got lost on the prairie, saw prairie fires, suffered cold, wet and heat, and got trapped in
fierce storms. In 1835, the steamer carrying his extensive collections and specimens sunk.
By the 18th century, there were seven religious communities in Neuwied at work making furniture
and clocks, or working in metallurgy or in mills. Castle Neuwied was built from 1702–1712 in the
Classic style in place of the old castle that had been destroyed by the French.The end of the city as
the Wied royal residence came with the French revolutionary wars: In the battle of Neuwied, which
is noted on the Arc de Triomphe, 1797 French revolutionary troops achieved the first large victory in
the wars against the Austrians. After the French, in 1815 the entire city went under Prussian
administration, although the counts still had certain privileges until 1848. Neuwied, 1784 and 1945:
and clocks, or working in metallurgy or in mills. Castle Neuwied was built from 1702–1712 in the
Classic style in place of the old castle that had been destroyed by the French.The end of the city as
the Wied royal residence came with the French revolutionary wars: In the battle of Neuwied, which
is noted on the Arc de Triomphe, 1797 French revolutionary troops achieved the first large victory in
the wars against the Austrians. After the French, in 1815 the entire city went under Prussian
administration, although the counts still had certain privileges until 1848. Neuwied, 1784 and 1945:
Above: In Brazil; with the Sioux by Bodmer; Weid monument in Germany