Heinrich von Dechen

Ernst Heinrich Karl von Dechen (25 March 180015 February 1889) was a German geologist.

Life He was born in Berlin, and was educated at the University of Berlin. He subsequently studied mining in Bochum and Essen, and was in 1820 placed in the mining department of the Prussian state, serving on the staff until 1864. Dechen was a professor at the University of Berlin from 1834 to 1841, after which he became director of the Prussian mining department while stationed at Bonn.

In the early years he made journeys to study the mining systems of other countries, and with this object he visited England and Scotland in company with Karl von Oeynhausen (1797–1865). In the course of his work he paid special attention to the coal-formation of Westphalia and northern Europe generally, and he greatly furthered the progress made in mining and metallurgical works in Rhenish Prussia. The mineral "Dechenite" was named after him in 1850 by Carl Wilhelm Sigismund Bergemann.

Mount Dechen in the Southern Alps of New Zealand is named after him.