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Emil HolubCzech doctor, South African researcher.
Date of Birth: 07.10.1847
Country:  Czech |
Content:
Biography of Emil Holub
Emil Holub was a Czech physician and explorer of South Africa. He was born on October 7, 1847, in Golice, eastern Czech Republic. Holub studied at the University of Prague, where he earned his medical degree.
Expedition to South Africa
In 1872, Holub embarked on a journey to the diamond fields in Kimberley, South Africa. Using the money he earned from his surgical practice, he organized an expedition to the northern Transvaal, Mashonaland, and through Bechuanaland to Victoria Falls. Holub collected a rich natural science collection, which he brought to Europe in 1879 and distributed to hundreds of museums and educational institutions.
Crossing the African Continent
In 1883, Holub returned to South Africa with his wife, intending to cross the entire African continent from Cape Town to Egypt. In June 1886, his expedition crossed the Zambezi River west of Victoria Falls and explored the previously unknown region between the Zambezi and its tributary, the Kafue. However, north of the Kafue, the travelers were attacked by natives and forced to retreat.
Return to Europe
In 1887, Holub returned to Austria with a new collection of over 13,000 items, which were distributed among museums throughout Europe. He published the diaries of his travels, "Seven Years in South Africa" (1881) and "Journeys, 1883-1887" (1890). Holub passed away in Vienna on February 21, 1902.
