German naturalist and explorer Eduard Rüppell made two extensive expeditions in north-east Africa.
Born in Frankfurt-am-Main, he was the son of a wealthy banker. After visiting Sinai in 1817 and ascending the Nile to Aswan, he was inspired to study natural history and attended university in Pavia and Genoa, Italy, before embarking on his first expedition in 1821.
Assisted by surgeon Michael Hey, Rüppell returned to Sinai, proceeding through the desert to reach the Gulf of Aqaba. Rüppell and Hey were reportedly the first Europeans to travel to Aqaba. The pair then explored Nubia and Kordofan (Sudan) and Arabia, before their travels were curtailed by illness in 1827. They had planned to make their way through Abyssinia (Ethiopia), but decided to return to Europe for the sake of their health. On his return, Rüppell published Reisen in Nubien, Kordofan und dem peträischen Arabien (1829), based on his experiences.
Rüppell realised his ambition to explore Abyssinia in 1830, this time managing to spend three years in the region. During this expedition he investigated in particular the flora and fauna of Eritrea, the Semen Mountains and central Gondar (Begemder). He also concerned himself with the culture and history of Abyssinia, making significant collections of anthropological artefacts. The Gondar judge and scholar Liq Atqum was especially helpful to Rüppell, who incorporated much of what he learnt from Atqum into his account of his time in Ethiopia, Reise in Abyssinien (1838-1840).
In Frankfurt once more, Rüppel co-founded the Senckenburg Natural History Society, of which he served as director, while his plant collections were studied by J.B.G.W. Fresenius, resulting in the description of many new taxa. In recognition of his achievements, the Royal Geographical Society of London awarded Rüppell its Gold Medal in 1839.Rüppell made a final journey to Africa in 1849-1850, adding further material to his previous collections, which formed the basis of the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt. In his later life he later turned his attentions to numismatics. He briefly left Frankfurt for Zurich after the Prussian annexation of his home in 1866, but returned in 1870 and remained there the rest of his life.
Many birds, mammals and plant were named in honour of Rüppell, including Rüppell's Warbler (Sylvia rueppelli) and Rüppell's Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus ruepellii. A street in Frankfurt is also named after him.
Sources:
I. Friis and O. Ryding (eds), 2001, "Biodiversity Research in the Horn of Africa Region", Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on the Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea: 53
R. Mertens, 1949, Eduard Rüppell : Leben und Werk eines Forschungsreisenden
W. Stricker, 1889, in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, 29: 707-714.
