# Friedrich Simony

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Friedrich_Simony
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Friedrich_Simony.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Simony
> Source revision: 1258628675
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Friedrich Simony** (30 November 1813, [Hrochowteinitz](/source/Hroch%C5%AFv_T%C3%BDnec) – 20 July 1896, [Sankt Gallen](/source/Sankt_Gallen,_Styria)) was an Austrian [geographer](/source/Geographer) and [Alpine researcher](/source/Alpinist).

Initially trained as a [pharmacist](/source/Pharmacist), from 1836 he studied natural sciences at the [University of Vienna](/source/University_of_Vienna) by way of influence from [botanist](/source/Botanist) [Joseph Franz von Jacquin](/source/Joseph_Franz_von_Jacquin). In 1848 he became a curator at the natural history museum in [Klagenfurt](/source/Klagenfurt), and during the following year, served as chief [geologist](/source/Geologist) at the [Imperial Geological Institute](/source/Geological_Survey_of_Austria) in [Vienna](/source/Vienna). In 1851, at the University of Vienna, he attained the first professorship for geography in Austria. In this role, he conducted research in the fields of [glaciology](/source/Glaciology), [climatology](/source/Climatology), [speleology](/source/Speleology), [ecology](/source/Ecology), [hydrology](/source/Hydrology), [phytogeography](/source/Phytogeography), etc.[1]

From 1840 he performed [geomorphological](/source/Geomorphology) and glaciological research of the [Dachstein Mountains](/source/Dachstein_Mountains). In September 1843 he was the first to spend the night at the summit of [Hoher Dachstein](/source/Hoher_Dachstein) (2995 m); in January 1847 he was first to achieve a winter ascent of the peak.[2][3]

He is credited as being the first to undertake systematic [meteorological](/source/Meteorological) studies of the eastern [Alps](/source/Alps), similar to the research [Horace-Bénédict de Saussure](/source/Horace-B%C3%A9n%C3%A9dict_de_Saussure) performed in the western Alps years earlier.[4] He was a pioneer in the field of [limnology](/source/Limnology); in 1844 he conducted [depth soundings](/source/Depth_sounding) of the [Hallstätter See](/source/Hallst%C3%A4tter_See), results of which, were published decades later in *Atlas der österreichischen Alpenseen* ("Atlas of the Austrian Alpine lakes", edited by [Albrecht Penck](/source/Albrecht_Penck) and [Eduard Richter](/source/Eduard_Richter), 2 volumes, 1895–96).[1] Throughout his career, he conducted extensive investigations on the depths and temperatures of all the lakes in [Salzkammergut](/source/Salzkammergut).[4]

In 1862 he was co-founder of the [Austrian Alpine Club](/source/Austrian_Alpine_Club). Today, the organization owns a building known as the "Simony-Hütte" ([Simony Hut](/source/Simony_Hut), 2205 m). It is located near [Hallstätter Glacier](/source/Hallst%C3%A4tter_Glacier) and is named after him. His name is also associated with several Alpine landmarks, such as: *Simonykees* (Simony Glacier), *Simony-Scharte* (Simony Notch), *Simonyschneide* (Simony Ridge) and *Simonyspitzen* (Simony Peaks).[2]

## Selected works

- *Die Seen des Salzkammergutes*, 1850.
- *Die Alterthümer vom Hallstätter Salzberg und dessen Umgehung*, 1851.
- *Physiognomischer Atlas der österreichischen Alpen*, 1862.
- *Die Gletscher des Dachsteingebirges*, 1871.
- *Das Dachsteingebeit: ein geographisches Charakterbild aus den österreichischen Nordalpen*, 3 volumes, 1889–95).[5]

## References

1. [Simony, Friedrich](http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/pnd119457415.html) Deutsche Biographie

1. [Heights of Reflection: Mountains in the German Imagination](https://books.google.com/books?id=h7HJNbI3bDEC&dq=Simonyspitzen+Friedrich&pg=PA200) by Sean Moore Ireton, Caroline Schaumann

1. [AEIOU](http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.encyclop.s/s592398.htm) Biographical sketch

1. [The Geographical Journal, Volume 1](https://books.google.com/books?id=N9aRAAAAMAAJ&dq=Simony+limnology&pg=PA353) Google Books

1. [WorldCat Search](http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ASIMONY%2C+Friedrich.&qt=hot_author) published works

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Friedrich Simony](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Simony) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Simony?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.