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By accident, the world-famous brewery Carlsberg became a central force in global marine science during the first three decades of the 20th century. Within a core group of scientists and managers, Johannes Schmidt (1877-1933) was the key figure combining the efforts of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), the Danish state and several private companies. Launching 26 oceangoing expeditions Schmidt made landmark discoveries such as the breeding ground for the Atlantic eel in the Sargasso Sea. The scientific frontier was pushed literally kilometres into the deep sea and across the World’s oceans. While the formal North Atlantic Empire of the small state of Denmark was in decline, an informal empire of science was erected instead.
Shortlisted for the Society for Nautical Research Anderson Medal for published works on Maritime History in 2016.
Shortlisted for the Society for Nautical Research Anderson Medal for published works on Maritime History in 2016.
Price: $69.00
Pages: 524
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Publication Date:
15 August 2016
ISBN: 9789004316362
Format: Hardcover
"Dette gennemførte værk vil utvivlsomt fremover komme til at stå som et uomgængeligt referenceværk inden for fiskeribiologiens og havforskningens historie og dansk ekspeditionshistorie. Generelle historikere kan dog også have glæde af væket, der på eminent vis bringer videnskabshistorien i spil i forhold til aktuelle forskningsfelter som f.eks. kolonihistorie, kulturog småstatsdiplomati." [English translation by Google Translate: "This work will undoubtedly be regarded as an indispensable reference work in the history of fisheries biology and marine research and Danish expedition history. However, general historians can also enjoy the wilderness that eminently brings the history of science into play in relation to current research fields such as colonial history, culture and small state diplomacy."] - Henrik Knudsen, in: Historisk Tidsskrift, 118 (2018), 1:258-262
"In the history of the marine sciences, Johannes Schmidt has been largely forgotten apart from his discovery of eel breeding grounds. This is largely redressed by Poulsen’s book, which is a fascinating and provocative resurrection of a Danish scientist who deserves at least as much attention as the Norwegians, Germans, and even British who dominated the marine sciences during the first three decades of the twentieth century." - Eric L. Mills, Professor Em. of History of Science, Dalhousie University / Inglis Professor, University of King’s College, Halifax, in: ISIS, Volume 109, Number 1 (March 2018), pp. 200-201
"To be acquainted with Poulson’s narrative, is to gain insight into the importance of the sea, the marine science, and how Johannes Schmidt consciously embedded marine knowledge as a part of Danish self-understanding. Poulsen’s Global Marine Science and Carlsberg is a most welcome addition to deepen our understanding of the history of marine science in the twentieth century." - Vera Schwach, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Higher Education, Oslo, Norway, in: The International Journal of Maritime History 29(4): 963-965
"[It] document[s] the professional life of an important marine biologist whose name otherwise would have faded into obscurity. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals." - C. Sokolik, Denison University, in: Choice, 1 March 2017
"The book is a high-quality production with many well-produced illustrations, taking full advantage of the material found in the "Carlsberg archives." - Richard Dunn, Royal Museums Greenwich, in: The Mariner’s Mirror 103 (4): 484-485 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00253359.2017.1384245]
"Bo Poulsen [...] has pulled together an impressively researched volume that documents the direction and significant events in global marine science in the early part of the 20th century using Schmidt's impressive scientific carreer as the central narrative." - David Righton, Center for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft UK, in: Fish and Fisheries, 2017/1
"The history of Johannes Schmidt, the Carlsberg Foundation and ICES are highly intertwined. It was therefore great that Bo Poulsen presented his volume at the opening reception of the ICES Annual Science Conference in Riga (19 September 2016)." - Read more about this here
"This is the extraordinary story of Johannes Schmidt, an entrepreneurial and controversial giant of marine science in the first three decades of the 20th century and how he succeeded in cajoling support from Carlsberg, the giant of beer brewing and establishing Denmark as a prominent player in expeditionary science. The book is clearly written, handsomely illustrated, deeply researched and the story is thoughtfully and imaginatively contextualized." - J.R. McNeill, Georgetown University
"We are most fortunate that we finally have an extensive biography of this eclectic marine scientist, who perhaps does not have the recognition today that he deserves. Schmidt’s role within ICES, in promoting and leading multi-national applied research on a wide range of fisheries issues, is captured in a new manner. The interactions of the strong personalities of the scientists from the diverse countries of Europe are teased out through in depth investigation of archival material that has not previously been accessed. We “toast” Bo Poulsen on his telling of this unique and fascinating story." - Michael M. Sinclair, Bedford Institute of Oceanography
"Good stories abound in the development of marine sciences, the story of Johannes Schmidt is no exception. With unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit, he carved the freedom for himself to develop ground-breaking science. Bo Poulsen has done justice to this multi-facetted personality by being equally knowledgeable on the issues of marine science and the historical, political and personal contexts in which it was developed. With lucid prose, he has created an interdisciplinary tale that equally brings to live Johannes Schmidt and the creatures he was so interested in." - Verena Winiwarter, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Austria
"Bo Poulsen tells a fascinating story of the surprising connections between the Danish scientist Johannes Schmidt, the famous Carlsberg brewery, and the pivotal role that marine science played in Denmark’s pursuit of international geopolitical standing as its formal North Atlantic empire waned in the first decades of the 20th century. A national celebrity in his own time, Schmidt is remembered by scientists today for solving the mystery of the spawning ground for the European eel in the far-distant Sargasso Sea. The legacy of his relationship with the Carlsberg Foundation, one of the earliest private foundations to patronize science, has been complicated by conflicting assessments since the Second World War about why and whether a brewery should have funded marine science. Poulsen’s research reveals why the Foundation, in conjunction with the Danish state government and private shipping and other companies, supported marine science in an era when international cooperation operated in tandem with the ability of important scientific discoveries to represent national achievement. Poulsen’s work enriches our understanding of the history of marine science and how it operated geopolitically between the foundational voyage of HMS Challengerin the 19th century and the meteoric growth of oceanography set off by the Second World War." - Helen M. Rozwadowski, Associate Professor of History and Maritime Studies, University of Connecticut Avery Point
"In the history of the marine sciences, Johannes Schmidt has been largely forgotten apart from his discovery of eel breeding grounds. This is largely redressed by Poulsen’s book, which is a fascinating and provocative resurrection of a Danish scientist who deserves at least as much attention as the Norwegians, Germans, and even British who dominated the marine sciences during the first three decades of the twentieth century." - Eric L. Mills, Professor Em. of History of Science, Dalhousie University / Inglis Professor, University of King’s College, Halifax, in: ISIS, Volume 109, Number 1 (March 2018), pp. 200-201
"To be acquainted with Poulson’s narrative, is to gain insight into the importance of the sea, the marine science, and how Johannes Schmidt consciously embedded marine knowledge as a part of Danish self-understanding. Poulsen’s Global Marine Science and Carlsberg is a most welcome addition to deepen our understanding of the history of marine science in the twentieth century." - Vera Schwach, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Higher Education, Oslo, Norway, in: The International Journal of Maritime History 29(4): 963-965
"[It] document[s] the professional life of an important marine biologist whose name otherwise would have faded into obscurity. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; faculty and professionals." - C. Sokolik, Denison University, in: Choice, 1 March 2017
"The book is a high-quality production with many well-produced illustrations, taking full advantage of the material found in the "Carlsberg archives." - Richard Dunn, Royal Museums Greenwich, in: The Mariner’s Mirror 103 (4): 484-485 [http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00253359.2017.1384245]
"Bo Poulsen [...] has pulled together an impressively researched volume that documents the direction and significant events in global marine science in the early part of the 20th century using Schmidt's impressive scientific carreer as the central narrative." - David Righton, Center for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft UK, in: Fish and Fisheries, 2017/1
"The history of Johannes Schmidt, the Carlsberg Foundation and ICES are highly intertwined. It was therefore great that Bo Poulsen presented his volume at the opening reception of the ICES Annual Science Conference in Riga (19 September 2016)." - Read more about this here
"This is the extraordinary story of Johannes Schmidt, an entrepreneurial and controversial giant of marine science in the first three decades of the 20th century and how he succeeded in cajoling support from Carlsberg, the giant of beer brewing and establishing Denmark as a prominent player in expeditionary science. The book is clearly written, handsomely illustrated, deeply researched and the story is thoughtfully and imaginatively contextualized." - J.R. McNeill, Georgetown University
"We are most fortunate that we finally have an extensive biography of this eclectic marine scientist, who perhaps does not have the recognition today that he deserves. Schmidt’s role within ICES, in promoting and leading multi-national applied research on a wide range of fisheries issues, is captured in a new manner. The interactions of the strong personalities of the scientists from the diverse countries of Europe are teased out through in depth investigation of archival material that has not previously been accessed. We “toast” Bo Poulsen on his telling of this unique and fascinating story." - Michael M. Sinclair, Bedford Institute of Oceanography
"Good stories abound in the development of marine sciences, the story of Johannes Schmidt is no exception. With unparalleled entrepreneurial spirit, he carved the freedom for himself to develop ground-breaking science. Bo Poulsen has done justice to this multi-facetted personality by being equally knowledgeable on the issues of marine science and the historical, political and personal contexts in which it was developed. With lucid prose, he has created an interdisciplinary tale that equally brings to live Johannes Schmidt and the creatures he was so interested in." - Verena Winiwarter, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, Austria
"Bo Poulsen tells a fascinating story of the surprising connections between the Danish scientist Johannes Schmidt, the famous Carlsberg brewery, and the pivotal role that marine science played in Denmark’s pursuit of international geopolitical standing as its formal North Atlantic empire waned in the first decades of the 20th century. A national celebrity in his own time, Schmidt is remembered by scientists today for solving the mystery of the spawning ground for the European eel in the far-distant Sargasso Sea. The legacy of his relationship with the Carlsberg Foundation, one of the earliest private foundations to patronize science, has been complicated by conflicting assessments since the Second World War about why and whether a brewery should have funded marine science. Poulsen’s research reveals why the Foundation, in conjunction with the Danish state government and private shipping and other companies, supported marine science in an era when international cooperation operated in tandem with the ability of important scientific discoveries to represent national achievement. Poulsen’s work enriches our understanding of the history of marine science and how it operated geopolitically between the foundational voyage of HMS Challengerin the 19th century and the meteoric growth of oceanography set off by the Second World War." - Helen M. Rozwadowski, Associate Professor of History and Maritime Studies, University of Connecticut Avery Point
Bo Poulsen, Ph.D. (2006), University of Southern Denmark, is Associate Professor of Environmental History at Aalborg University. For his interdisciplinary work, such as the monograph Dutch Herring (Aksant, 2008), he has been awarded the Danish Research Project of the Year Award and the Hoogendijk Prize.