Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Wagner, professor of geography at Göttingen University and thus one of Germany's most senior professors in this field, is identified as likely addressee because of his longstanding close links with the Perthes publishing company. He had been an occasional correspondent of M's for many years, although no other letters between them have been found; see, for example, M to J. Robertson, 24 April 1871 (in this edition as 71-04-24c).

21. Oct. 1885

Verspätet, hochgeehrter Herr Professor, rufe ich Ihnen aus weitester Ferne auch meine Gratulation zu für das centenare Jubelfest der ältesten geographischen Anstalt der Erde! Mein Glückwunsch sollte Sie zeitiger erreicht haben, aber während eines längeren Erkrankens war mir die genaue Zeit Ihres schönen Festes nicht bekannt geworden. Stets werde ich darauf stolz sein, etwas mit zu den Arbeiten des grossen Instituts beigetragen zu haben, welches der edle unvergessliche Justus Perthes begründete, und welches nicht nur geographisch sondern auch historisch so bedeutungsvoll wurde. Die prächtige und gediegene Festschrift, von welcher Sie mir einen Abdruck so gütig sandten, werde ich unter den besten Andenken bewahren u. in meiner Jahresrede nach einigen Wochen hier in der geographischen Gesellschaft gedenken! Ganz besonders bitte ich Sie, mich dem fürderen Wohlwollen des Herrn B. Perthes u. des Herrn Professor Dr Suppan freundlich empfehlen zu wollen. Es ist eine wehmüthige Freude unter den Mitarbeitern auch Fräulein Clara Behm's Namen verzeichnet zu sehen. Hoffentlich haben die Zusendungen der Druckschriften unserer geograph. Gesellschaft Australien's Sie erreicht, u. werde ich die Ehre haben, auch was folgen wird nach u. nach an Ihre schöne Anstalt zu senden.

21 October 1885

Belatedly, highly esteemed Professor, I also trumpet my congratulation to you from the furthest distance for the centenary celebration of the oldest geographical institute of the world!

2

Justus Perthes' Geographischer Anstalt, Gotha.

My congratulation should have reached you earlier, but during a longer sickness the exact time of your fine festival was not known to me. I shall always be proud of having contributed something to the work of the great institute, which the noble unforgettable Justus Perthes founded and which has become so significant, not only geographically but also historically. The splendid and substantial Festschrift

3

Perthes (1885?).

of which you so kindly sent me an impression, I shall keep under the best remembrance and make mention of in my anniversary address in some weeks here in the Geographical Society!

4

B87.05.03. M delivered his annual address to the Victorian Branch of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia on 18 January 1886 and in this he referred effusively (pp. 41-3) to the centenary of Justus Perthes' establishment.

Quite particularly I ask you kindly to recommend me to the further good will of Mr B. Perthes and Professor Dr Suppan.

5

Alexander Supan.

It is a melancholy pleasure to see among the employees also Miss Clara Behm's name recorded.

6

Listed as part of the general editorial staff and as having joined the firm in 1884; see Perthes (1885?), foldout at end of volume. No further information has been found, but Clara was presumably one of the two daughters of the recently deceased editor of Petermann's geographische Mitteilungen, Ernst Behm (Wolkenhauer (1864), p. 525).

Hopefully the consignments of the publications of our Geographical Society of Australia have reached you and I shall have the honour also to send to your splendid institute that which will gradually follow.