Wooden lion statue in front of African Museum - Holice, Czech Republic
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Wooden statue of a lion in front of African Museum of Dr. Emil Holub, a Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa, located in his native city Holice (East Bohemia).
Waymark Code: WMW6N2
Location: Pardubický kraj, Czechia
Date Posted: 07/17/2017
Views: 16
The wooden statue of a sitting lion can be seen in front of African Museum of Dr. Emil Holub located in his native city Holice (East Bohemia).
Dr. Emil Holub (1847 – 1902) was a Czech physician, explorer, cartographer, and ethnographer in Africa. Inspired to visit Africa by the diaries of David Livingstone, Holub travelled to Cape Town, South Africa shortly after graduation and eventually settled near Kimberley to practise medicine. After eight months, Holub set out in a convoy of local hunters on a two-month experimental expedition, or "scientific safari", where he began to assemble a large natural history collection.
In 1873 Holub set out on his second scientific safari, devoting his attention to the collection of ethnographic material. On his third expedition in 1875, he ventured all the way to the Zambezi river and made the first detailed map of the region surrounding Victoria Falls. Holub also wrote and published the first book account of the Victoria Falls published in English in Grahamstown in 1879.
After returning to Prague for several years, Holub made plans for a bold African expedition. In 1883, Holub, along with his new wife and six guides, set out to do what no one had done before: explore the entire length of Africa from Cape Town all the way to Egypt. However, the expedition was troubled by illness and the uncooperative Ila tribesmen and Holub's team was forced to turn back in 1886.
Holub mounted two highly successful exhibitions, in 1891 in Vienna and in 1892 in Prague. Frustrated that he was unable to find a permanent home for his large collection of artefacts, he gradually sold or gave away parts of it to museums, scientific institutions and schools.
Later Holub published a series of documents, contributing to papers and magazines, and delivering lectures. His early death came in Vienna on February 21, 1902, from lingering complications of malaria and other diseases he had acquired while in Africa.
In 1970 , his native town of Holice opened a museum dedicated to Emil Holub near the main post office with an associated monument nearby. Recently three new wooden statues of an elephant, a lion and Dr. Emil Holub has been installed in front of the museum.
Biography cited from (
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