Heinrich Barth

Heinrich Barth
Heinrich Barth
Born	16 February 1821 (1821-02-16) Hamburg, German Confederation
Died	25 November 1865(1865-11-25) (aged 44) Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Nationality	German
Occupation(s)	African explorer and scholar
Awards	Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society (1856) Companionship of the Bath (1862)

Johann Heinrich Barth (/bɑːrθ, bɑːrt/;^[1][2] German: [baʁt]; 16 February 1821 – 25 November 1865) was a German explorer of Africa and scholar.

Barth is thought to be one of the greatest of the European explorers of Africa, as his scholarly preparation, ability to speak and write Arabic, learning African languages, and character meant that he carefully documented the details of the cultures he visited. He was among the first to comprehend the uses of oral history of peoples, and collected many. He established friendships with African rulers and scholars during his five years of travel (1850–1855). After the deaths of two European companions, he completed his travels with the aid of Africans. Afterwards, he wrote and published a five-volume account of his travels in both English and German. It has been invaluable for scholars of his time and since.