C.L. Obbarius - ein deutscher Pionier in schwedischen Wäldern

2002

S. 395-402

Unselbständiges Werk

200091138

Carl Ludwig Obbarius (1780-1860) was one of the really significant pioneers of Swedish forest science, whose merits are threatened today to fall into oblivion. At the beginning of the 19th century Sweden lived of its iron and steel industry, as well as its copper and silver production. This industry had a tremendous demand for wood in form of charcoal, especially in the densely populated area of southern Sweden where the mines and deposits were located. Large parts of the crown and state owned forests had been given to farmers or put directly at the industries disposal. Thus a responsibility for a sustainable and optimal wood production developed among these companies and created the demand for qualified personnel in order to manage these forests. The royal forest faculty (Kungl. Skogsinstitutet), founded in 1829 did not meet these demands because its education was not sufficiently focused on silviculture and production. This led to the foundation of an own forest education by the ore companies, the forest institute "Bruksocieteten" (a union of forest-owning iron producers). C.L. Obbarius, a forest warden from the Harz mountains in Germany and disciple of Hartig and Cotta, was appointed to build up this school. He directed it almost until his death in 1860; after that the school had been closed. Due to the lack of specialist literature Obbarius wrote the textbook of forest science, consisting of four parts and 1200 pages, in which he explains and describes explicity the requirements for forestry, wood cutting, forest taxation and management, as well as the production oriented economic plan. He also tried to establish the first Swedish Journal on and for forestry. Until 1900 more than 60 % of the Swedish foresters owned by the iron and steel industry (app. 900.000 ha) were managed according to his methods. His arranged felling method shaped even-aged and well closed stands, which had met, after the good years for iron and steel production, the requirements for a shift in production towards cellulose and sawn wood.