Giesecke, Carl Ludwig, 1761-1833

Carl Ludwig Giesecke, mineralogist and collector, was born in Augsburg on April 6, 1761.

Following a short-lived musical career, Giesecke turned his attention to the study of mineralogy in the 1790's. In 1805 he was sent by the Danish government to west Greenland on a geological and mineralogical survey. From 1805 to 1813 Giesecke traveled along the coast and under great physical privations he collected and described many mineral deposits including cryolite. Upon his return, he was elected to the newly formed Professorship of Mineralogy by the Royal Dublin Society. For the next two decades, Giesecke worked for the Society delivering lectures and papers as well as collecting mineral samples from other European countries. He died suddenly on March 5, 1833.

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