Ernst Reinhold von Hofmann

Ernst Reinhold von Hofmann (; 8 January 1801 – 23 May 1871) was a Russian geologist, geographer, explorer, and lecturer of Baltic German descent. He was a geologist who accompanied Otto von Kotzebue and his crew during his travels around the world from 1823 to 1826. After that, he made several travels to regions such as the Urals and Continental Europe and made note of orography and general geography. He was also a professor at Saint Petersburg State University and an associate professor at the University of Kiev .

Early life and education Hofmann was born on 8 January 1801 in Paistu Parish, in the Russian Empire, located in present-day Estonia. His father, Carl, was a pastor. He grew up in Dorpat (now called Tartu) and attended a city gymnasium for primary school. He started studying medicine at the Dorpat University in 1819, but became fascinated with Moritz von Engelhardt's teaching and became a student of geology and mineralogy.

Early travels and studies

From 1823 to 1826, Hofmann circumnavigated the world with Otto von Kotzebue and other young students, including Emil Lenz. On 14 July, Hofmann was among a small group of travelers to make the first known ascent of the Avachinsky. The ascent was successful and they measured the summit's elevation as 7,200 feet above sea level. The group brought pieces of crystalline back to the ship to prove their ascent. They left the Kamchatka Peninsula on 20 July and set out for Novo-Arkhangelsk, where they arrived on 10 August. It was there where they received word from Matvey Muravyev, chief manager of the Russian-American Company, that they wouldn't be needed until 1 March of next year, when trading season began. After a month on the island of Sitka, they departed and set out to California, which at the time wasn't well-explored. This differed from the original plan, as the group wanted to explore the Northwest Passage but the conditions proved to be too dangerous. The group also visited Hawaii in the six-month period of free time that they had. In Hawaii, the group stocked up on fresh food and conducted scientific observations. They returned to Novo-Arkhangelsk on 24 February 1825 and dropped anchor near a fortress for five months, guarding a portion of the city. They were to move when a decree reached Alaska on 30 July, permitting American ships to come to Russian American waters. The ship left the city on 11 August and headed for Honolulu, where they stopped for four days before moving to the Marshall Islands on 19 September. On 6 October the group observed and mapped the Ralik chain, which was regarded by explorers as relatively mysterious. The group were also the first Westerners to observe the Eschscholtz Atoll on 9 October. The group stopped in Guam for three days, starting in 19 October. The group arrived in Manila on 8 November and stayed so the ship could be repaired. The group left the Philippines on 10 January 1826. They passed the Sunda Strait on 25 January and ventured through the Indian Ocean, rounding the Cape of Good Hope on 16 March and arriving at Saint Helena eleven days later. They entered Portsmouth on 3 June and reached Kronstadt on 10 July. Hofmann later recorded his geological findings in his article, "Geognostische Beobachtungen auf einer Reise um die Welt in den Jahren 1823-26" . In 1831, they published "Geognostische Untersuchung der Süd-Uralgebirges" in Berlin. In 1844, he conducted research around the Kemijoki. From 1853 until 1859 he travelled to the Middle Urals every summer. He created maps and recorded geological details of different areas in the region, for example, in 1857, during an expedition, he surveyed Mountain Kachkanar. He also wrote many works about his findings in the resulting years. Hofmann Island is claimed to be named after him.