educational path
(szczegóły)

Nature and Journey,
the story of polish people abroad
6/7

Ignacy Domeyko
(1802-1889)

Ignacy Domeyko was a Polish geologist and explorer of South America. He came from a landed gentry family and from an early age, he was interested in science. He studied at the University of Vilnius. His participation in the November Uprising in 1831 forced him to emigrate.

After several years of wandering around Europe, during which he continued his education and developed his scientific interests, Domeyko reached South America, specifically Chile. There, he conducted research, lectured at universities, and traveled through the Andes – the mountain range that runs along the country’s eastern border and occupies the vast majority of its land area.

During his expeditions, Domeyko reached Araucania – a historical land inhabited by a group of South American Indians, the Araucanians, also known as the Mapuche. The once-independent tribe was subjected to raids by Chileans and Argentines who sought to colonize their lands. The Polish scholar became interested in the plight of the Indians and supported them in their dialogue with the Chilean government. He wrote a book describing the rich Mapuche culture. He also included a geographical and ethnographic description of the Araucania region and examined its flora and fauna. One of the species he described was the Chilean Araucaria (Araucaria araucana (Molina) K. Koch), named after this tribe. This coniferous tree grows on the volcanic slopes of the Andes. It is an example of a living fossil, as the first traces of its occurrence date back to the Jurassic period, 225 million years ago. For the Indians, the araucaria was a sacred tree, its seeds were a local delicacy.

Ignacy Domeyko was a highly respected figure in Chile. His geological research contributed to the development of the local mining industry. As a rector of the University of Chile in the capital of Santiago, he raised the standard of education and science. All this contributed to the country’s enormous economic development. In his honor, numerous streets, schools, libraries, and even a peak and mountain range in the Andes were named after him.