Ina Reck

Ina von Grumbkow born Viktorine Helena Natalie von Grumbkow, later Ina Reck (15 September 1872 – 20 January 1942) was an explorer, artist, and writer who travelled through Iceland in search of her lost fiance Walther von Knebel who died without a trace in 1907. She later married the geologist Hans Reck. While in Africa, she documented the dinosaur dig sites in Tendaguru.

Life and work

Von Grumbkow was born in Ovelgönne in a family of Pomeranian noble Viktor von Grumbkow (1842–1872) and Ina Bendixen (1840–1914). A cousin was the lawyer Waldemar von Grumbkow (1888–1959). She grew up with her widowed mother in Lichterfelde, Berlin, She had to manage 400 workers at the dig site, help distribute food and deal with medical problems while her husband explored other area. She visited again in 1914 and stayed on until 1918, living at Dodoma, Ufiome and making visits to places like Hanang. In 1924 she wrote about it in Mit der Tendaguru-Expedition im Süden von Deutsch-Ostafrika. In 1925 she wrote a book with her illustrations on her travels in North and – German East Africa Auf einsamen Märschen im Norden von Deutsch-Ostafrika: Reiseskizzen. She was separated from her husband by the British army and she was interned in Dar-es-Salaam by the British during the war period and she returned in 1919. In 1931 Hans went again to work with Louis Leakey. In 1933, she wrote about her experiences in Africa in the Berliner Illustrierte (November 24, 1933: Riesensaurier vom Tendaguru ). Reck went again to Africa in 1936, but this time without Ina and he died of a heart attack in Mozambique. Ina then went to live in Glienicke near Berlin until her death.