Menke Heinrich Theodore

(24.05.1819 - 14.05.1892)

German geographer.

Born and lived in Bremen. He is remembered for his work in the field of historical geography.

Menke studied theology and philology at the University of Bonn, and in 1842 received his doctoral degree in Halle, defended a thesis on ancient Lydia. Subsequently, he worked as a schoolteacher in Bremen, but soon became unhappy with this area of work and began to study law in Berlin and Heidelberg. After receiving a degree, he practiced law in Bremen and then Vegesack.

Throughout his life, Menke was passionately interested in geography. After meeting with William Perth (1783-1853) from the Geographical Institute in Gotha, in the center of Germany, Menke began editing and producing geographical Atlases.

From 1877 he was elected a corresponding member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.

He died in Gotha.

Islands south of the island of Edge, Svalbard. The coordinates are 77° 10'N   23° 00'E.