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Why did Alexander von Humboldt resign from his mining post in 1797?
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Alexander von Humboldt
Alexander von Humboldt, oil on canvas by Julius Schrader, 1859; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
Alexander von Humboldt resigned from his mining post in 1797 because he had become convinced that his true purpose in life was scientific exploration.
Although he had been a successful and innovative administrator in the Prussian Mining Department, he did not intend to make mining his career. Upon resigning, he focused his efforts on acquiring a thorough, single-minded mastery of geodetic, meteorological, and geomagnetic measurement systems to prepare for his future expeditions.12