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Hans Schomburgk

1880 – 1967

German explorer

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About Hans Schomburgk

Lived 1880 – 1967 (aged 86). Hans Schomburgk was a German explorer, writer, film director, photographer, screenwriter and director.

Hans Schomburgk (October 28, 1880 in Hamburg – July 27, 1967 in Berlin) was a German adventurer, filmmaker and until 1912 a big-game hunter.

Biography Schomburgk participated in a number of expeditions throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to being a big-game hunter, he also procured African animals for European zoos, including such curiosities as the pygmy hippopotamus. Schomburgk is credited as being the first European to visit the Schikande River and Lake Sengwe of southern Angola. Also, he took part in the manufacture of the first map of western Liberia.

Schomburgk is remembered today for his "ethnodramas" filmed on location in Africa. From 1922 until 1925 he was married to German actress Meg Gehrts (1891–1966), who was featured in his Weiße Göttin der Wangora (The White Goddess of the Wangora), a movie filmed in Togoland in 1913.

The following list contains some of Schomburgk's better known African films: Im deutschen Sudan (1913/1917) – In "German Sudan". Tropengift (1919) – Tropical poison. At War in the Diamond Fields (1921). Eine Weisse unter Kannibalen (1921). Frauen, Masken und Dämonen (1932). Das letzte Paradies (1932) – The last paradise. Die Wildnis stirbt (1936) – The wilderness dies. Hans Schomburgk – Mein Abschied von Afrika (1958).

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Awards
Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Also known as
Hans Hermann Schomburgk, H. Schomburgk, H. H. Schomburgk

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Hans Schomburgk's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Hans Schomburgk?

German explorer (1880-1967)

When was Hans Schomburgk born?

Hans Schomburgk was born on 28 October 1880 in Hamburg.

When did Hans Schomburgk die?

Hans Schomburgk died on 27 July 1967 in Berlin.

What was Hans Schomburgk's occupation?

Hans Schomburgk was an explorer, writer, film director, photographer, screenwriter and director.

What nationality was Hans Schomburgk?

Hans Schomburgk was German.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Hans Schomburgk

· Wikidata: Q91999

· DBpedia: Hans Schomburgk

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hans Schomburgk. https://biography.guide/hans-schomburgk/

MLA: "Hans Schomburgk." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hans-schomburgk/.

Chicago: "Hans Schomburgk." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hans-schomburgk/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

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