Max Reisch (1912–1985) was an

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n long-distance traveler, author, researcher and orientalist who in 1933 made the first overland journey by motorcycle to

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

(from

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

), and who in 1935/1936 was the first to circumnavigate the world by traversing

Mainland Southeast Asia Mainland Southeast Asia (historically known as Indochina and the Indochinese Peninsula) is the continental portion of Southeast Asia. It lies east of the Indian subcontinent and south of Mainland China and is bordered by the Indian Ocean to th ...

in a car.

Life, work and accomplishments

Max Reisch attended primary and secondary schools in Bozen and Kufstein 1918 – 1924, then finished the HTL

Mödling Mödling () is the capital of the Austrian Mödling (district), district of the same name located approximately 15 km south of Vienna. Mödling lies in Lower Austria's industrial zone (Industrieviertel). The Mödlingbach, a brook which rises ...

, and was graduated as "Ingenieur" (Austrian title) in

Building construction Construction are processes involved in delivering buildings, infrastructure, industrial facilities, and associated activities through to the end of their life. It typically starts with planning, financing, and design that continues until the a ...

1931. Afterwards he studied at the former "Hochschule für Welthandel" Vienna (Master as "Diplom-Kaufmann" 1937, then 1939

Doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''doctor'', meaning "teacher") or doctoral degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism '' licentia docendi'' ("licence to teach ...

). He got famous as travel pioneer and long-distance traveler by undertaking expeditions to

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

, the Near and

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

, including

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, Irak,

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

and

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

. Further he drove as pioneer by car into the

Far East The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

, crossing

for the first time ever, going as far as

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and subsequently via

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

and the USA around the world. These travels were performed using expanded serial

Puch Puch () is a manufacturing company located in Graz, Styria, Austria. The company was founded in 1899 by the industrialist Johann Puch and produced automobiles, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles. It was a subsidiary of the large Steyr-Daimler-Puch ...

Motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

s (models 175 and 250), a modified Steyr 100 car, and the first European

Motorhome A motorhome (or coach) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels. Features Motorhomes usually have sleeping spaces for two to eight people. Each sleeping space is either fixed o ...

, invented and designed by Max Reisch himself. He also was a pioneer for Rotel Tours and planned or directed travels to the

Holy Land The term "Holy Land" is used to collectively denote areas of the Southern Levant that hold great significance in the Abrahamic religions, primarily because of their association with people and events featured in the Bible. It is traditionall ...

, travels via

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, or

Sahara The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

-travels in

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

(see below).

Travels and Expeditions (a selection)

* 1930: Solo Motorcycle journey crossing over 12 Alpine passes with a

type 175; f. e. over the Stelvio Pass.; * 1931: Solo Motorcycle journey to and around the

Lake Garda Lake Garda (, , or , ; ; ) is the largest lake in Italy. It is a popular holiday location in northern Italy, between Brescia and Milan to the west, and Verona and Venice to the east. The lake cuts into the edge of the Eastern Alps, Italian Alp ...

; * 1932:

-Motorcycle journey (with Alfred Schricker), using a modified Puch motorbike Type 250; the two being the first Austrians to travel into the Sahara with a motorbike.; * 1933: India-Motorcycle-Expedition (together with Herbert Tichy, using an original Puch 250, augmented with special equipment designed by Reisch himself), travelling the

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

, the

Syrian Desert The Syrian Desert ( ''Bādiyat Ash-Shām''), also known as the North Arabian Desert, the Jordanian steppe, or the Badiya, is a region of desert, semi-desert, and steppe, covering about of West Asia, including parts of northern Saudi Arabia, ea ...

and the

to the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

as far as

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

. Reisch and Tichy were the first motorbikers worldwide to reach India on an overland route coming from Europe. Max_Reisch_1935_Afghanistan

* 1935/1936:

circumnavigation Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical object, astronomical body (e.g. a planet or natural satellite, moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth. The first circumnaviga ...

of the earth by car (with Helmuth Hahmann) Reisch was using a Steyr 100

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of a manufactured object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

, then designed and expanded for this expedition by Max Reisch himself. Reisch and Hahmann were the first to traverse

: (

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

French Indochina French Indochina (previously spelled as French Indo-China), officially known as the Indochinese Union and after 1941 as the Indochinese Federation, was a group of French dependent territories in Southeast Asia from 1887 to 1954. It was initial ...

i. e.

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

, and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

) by car, and completing the circumnavigation of the earth via

and the USA back to Austria. * 1942/1943: as

military officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer (NCO), or a warrant officer. However, absent c ...

at the German Afrikakorps under General

Erwin Rommel Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (; 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944), popularly known as The Desert Fox (, ), was a German '' Generalfeldmarschall'' (field marshal) during World War II. He served in the ''Wehrmacht'' (armed forces) of ...

: desert trips in Tunesia,

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

und

Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...

, f. e. to the

Siwa Oasis The Siwa Oasis ( ) is an urban oasis in Egypt. It is situated between the Qattara Depression and the Great Sand Sea in the Western Desert (Egypt), Western Desert, east of the Egypt–Libya border and from the Egyptian capital city of Cairo. I ...

. * 1952:

Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...

-Journey (with Rolf Hecker), using the first European

motorhome A motorhome (or coach) is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels. Features Motorhomes usually have sleeping spaces for two to eight people. Each sleeping space is either fixed o ...

, designed by Max Reisch himself. This expedition via the

Near East The Near East () is a transcontinental region around the Eastern Mediterranean encompassing the historical Fertile Crescent, the Levant, Anatolia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The term was invented in the 20th ...

crossed the Irak and

, and reached also

with its capital

Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...

, including a meeting with king

Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...

). * 1955/1956: Journey to the

Sinai Peninsula The Sinai Peninsula, or simply Sinai ( ; ; ; ), is a peninsula in Egypt, and the only part of the country located in Asia. It is between the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Red Sea to the south, and is a land bridge between Asia and Afri ...

and the deserts of Egypt along the

Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...

and the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

(with his wife Christiane Reisch), using an

Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Gr ...

-Caravan (1954), but with a special Roof tent designed under the supervision of Max Reisch (the vehicle was called the "Sinai-Moses". * 1958: Journey "On the traces of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...

", via

Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...

, the

and

as far as

, again using the above-mentioned "Sinai-Moses", and with his wife Christane Reisch. * 1961: Journey "On the Traces of the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

(1096-1099)" to the

, including trips to

Petra Petra (; "Rock"), originally known to its inhabitants as Raqmu (Nabataean Aramaic, Nabataean: or , *''Raqēmō''), is an ancient city and archaeological site in southern Jordan. Famous for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit systems, P ...

, and the coast of the

in contemporary Jordania, accomplished with a Ford Taunus and an early Caravan by the German company Knaus-Tabbert, again with his wife Christiane Reisch. * 1962: First group-travel (as concept-creator and tour guide) for Rotel Tours to

via Iran and Afghanistan; repeated several times until 1976. * 1969: First group-travel (as concept creator) for Rotel Tours, route "Trans-

": from

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

Tamanrasset Tamanrasset (; ), also known as Tamanghasset or Tamenghest, is an oasis city and capital of Tamanrasset Province in southern Algeria, in the Ahaggar Mountains. It is the chief city of the Algerian Tuareg. It is located at an altitude of . As of ...

, and further to

Agadez Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of the eponymous Agadez Region, the city lies in the Sahara ...

Niamey Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. As the Niamey Urban Community (, CUN), it is a Regions of Niger, first-level division of Niger, surrounded by the Tillabéri Region, in the western part of the country. Niamey lies on the Nige ...

Porto-Novo , , ; ; ; also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities in Benin, second-largest city of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. In 1863, following Bri ...

, and

Accra Accra (; or ''Gaga''; ; Ewe: Gɛ; ) is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , had a population of ...

, repeated several times until 1980. * 1972 – 1981: Group-travels (as concept creator and occasional tour guide) for Rotel Tours, tours in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

(there from the

Andes The Andes ( ), Andes Mountains or Andean Mountain Range (; ) are the List of longest mountain chains on Earth, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range ...

to the

Amazon rainforest The Amazon rainforest, also called the Amazon jungle or Amazonia, is a Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, moist broadleaf tropical rainforest in the Amazon biome that covers most of the Amazon basin of South America. This basin ...

Other activities

Together with his elder brother Hans F. Reisch (1907–2004) he founded 1946 the Spar (retailer) Austrian branch in Kufstein, and was an executive officer there till 1955. In 1950 Max Reisch was a Central European Rally Champion and thus the first Tyrolian to win this trophy. For his work Max Reisch was honoured by Austrian public institutions several times * 1954 Grand Gold Medal, Austrian Motor Club; * 1971 Honorary Title "

Professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other tertiary education, post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin ...

" by the

President of Austria The president of Austria () is the head of state of the Austria, Republic of Austria. The office of the president was established in 1920 by the Constituent National Assembly (Austria), Constituent National Assembly of the First Austrian Repu ...

; * 1978 Grand Silver Medal, City of Vienna; * 1982 Golden Cross of Merit, Federal State of Tyrol; * 1984 Golden Badge of Honour for Cultural Merits, city of Kufstein.

Publications (a selection)

Books

* ''Transasien'' (title English "Transasia"). Brockhaus publishers,

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

1939 (about the Transasia-trip

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

1935; in German). * ''Transasia''. Blix forlag/ publishers,

Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...

1944 (= "Transasien" 1939, translation into Norwegian). * ''Indien – lockende Ferne'' (title English "India – the alluring distance").

Ullstein Verlag The ''Ullstein Verlag'' was founded by Leopold Ullstein in 1877 at Berlin and is one of the largest publishing companies of Germany. It published newspapers like '' B.Z.'' and '' Berliner Morgenpost'' and books through its subsidiaries ''Ullstei ...

publishers, Vienna et al. 1949 (about the India-motorcycle-trip 1933 with Herbert Tichy, in German). * ''2 Mann und 32 PS'' (title English "2 men and 32 HP"). Ullstein publishers, Vienna et al. 1951 (on the Transasia-trip 1935 and its continuation as world-

circumference In geometry, the circumference () is the perimeter of a circle or ellipse. The circumference is the arc length of the circle, as if it were opened up and straightened out to a line segment. More generally, the perimeter is the curve length arou ...

1936 via

and the USA, in German). * ''Im Auto nach Koweit'' (title English "By car to Kuwait"). Ullstein publishers, Vienna et al. 1953 (first report about the Arabia-trip 1952, in German). * ''König im Morgenland'' (title English "King of the Orient"). Ullstein publishers, Vienna et al. 1954 (second report about the Arabia-trip 1952, in German). * ''Till Kuwait''. Natur och Kultur publishers,

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

1955 (= "Im Auto nach Koweit" 1953, translated into Swedish). * ''Auf nach Afrika!'' (with Christiane Reisch; title English "On to Africa!"). Ullstein publishers, Vienna et al. 1957 (report about the Sahara-expedition 1952, in German). * ''Tapis Volants et Pipelines'' (title English "Flying carpets and

Pipeline A pipeline is a system of Pipe (fluid conveyance), pipes for long-distance transportation of a liquid or gas, typically to a market area for consumption. The latest data from 2014 gives a total of slightly less than of pipeline in 120 countries ...

s"). Calmann-Levy publishers, Paris 1957 (= "König im Morgenland" 1954, in French). * ''Siwa – Sinai und Sid'' (title English "Siwa, Sinai and Sid"). Kümmerly+Frey publishers,

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

1958 (report on the

- and

-trip 1955/1956, in German). * ''Mausefalle Afrika: Meine Wüstenfahrten bei Rommel, und wie wir aus Tunis entwischt sind'' (title English "Rat-trap Africa: desert travels with Rommel, and how we escaped from

"). K. Vowinckel publishers, Neckargemünd 1962 (report on travels as part of the

Afrika Korps The German Africa Corps (, ; DAK), commonly known as Afrika Korps, was the German expeditionary force in Africa during the North African campaign of World War II. First sent as a holding force to shore up the Italian defense of its Africa ...

1941–1943, in German). * ''Strasse der Zehntausend: Auf den Spuren Alexanders des Großen'' (title English "Street of the 10.000 – on the tracks of

"). Österreichischer Bundesverlag publishers, Vienna 1962 (report on a trip in the Near and Middle East to

1958, in German). * ''Die Straße des Glaubens: Auf den Spuren der Kreuzritter'' (title English "Street of Faith – on the tracks of the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

"). Österreichischer Bundesverlag publishers, Vienna 1965 (report on a

Palestine (region) The region of Palestine, also known as historic Palestine, is a geographical area in West Asia. It includes the modern states of Israel and Palestine, as well as parts of northwestern Jordan in some definitions. Other names for the region i ...

-trip 1961, in German). * (editor) ''Karawanenstraßen Asiens'' (title English "Caravan Routes of Asia"). Welsermühl publishers,

Wels Wels (; Central Bavarian: ''Wös'') is a city in Upper Austria, on the Traun River near Linz. It is the county seat of Wels-Land, and with a population of approximately 60,000, the List of cities and towns in Austria, eighth largest city in Aus ...

1974 (Illustrated book, based on several trips of Max Reisch and his fotos in the Near and Middle East, augmented by additional fotos by other authors, in German). * ''Indien lockende Ferne: 13.000 km Pionierfahrt nach Indien'' (title English "India – the alluring distance. 13.000 km pioneer-trip by a motorbike to India"). Ennsthaler publishers,

Steyr Steyr (; ) is a statutory city (Austria), statutory city, located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. It is the administrative capital, though not part of Steyr-Land District. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and the 3rd lar ...

1983, ISBN 3-85068-131-9 (augmented anniversary edition (50 years after the 1933 trip) of "Indien etc." 1949, see above, in German). * ''Im Auto um die Erde: Pionierfahrt durch Burma, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam und China'' (title English "By Car around the World. A pioneering trip via

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

and

"), Ennsthaler publishers, Steyr 1984, ISBN 3-85068-176-9 (augmented new edition of "2 Mann und 32 PS" 1951, see above). * ''Out of the Rat Trap. Desert Adventures with Rommel''. The History Press,

Stroud Stroud is a market town and civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. It is the main town in Stroud District. The town's population was 13,500 in 2021. Sited below the western escarpment of the Cotswold Hills, at the meeting point of the ...

/ UK 2013: ISBN 978-0-7524-9007-6 (= "Mausefalle Afrika" 1962, see above, translated into English by Allison Falls, edited by Peter Reisch, but augmented with some additional colour fotos). * ''An Incredible Journey. The lost world of the 1930s circled by two men in one small car''. Veloce publishers, Poundbury/UK 2017, ISBN 978-1-78711-165-3 (= "Im Auto um die Erde" 1983, see above, translated into English by Allison Falls, edited by Peter Reisch). * ''India. The Shimmering Dream, A captivating window to a forgotten world: to India by motorcycle in 1933''. Veloce publishers, Poundbury/UK 2018, ISBN 978-1-78711-294-0 (= "Indien - Lockende Ferne“ 1983, see above, translated into English by Allison Falls, edited by Peter Reisch).

Articles

Between 1932 and 1984 Max Reisch published more than 700 contributions in Austrian, German, Italian, Hungarian, Estonian, British, US-American, Indian and Afghan newspapers and magazines, as well as ca. 30 chapters in books edited by others. See here the detailed list in the "Max-Reisch-Biblio-, Media- und Webografie by Ingo Mörth" (section: articles).

Audio-, Video-, Audiovisual and Internet-Contributions

Max Reisch documented all his travels with photographs (since 1932 in B/W, since 1938 also in colour). There are also B/W 35 mm films, used during the 1935/1936 world circumnavigation, and B/W

16 mm film 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical Film gauge, gauge of Photographic film, film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 mm film, 8 mm and 35mm movie film, 35 mm. It ...

s used for some travels afterwards. He published between 1934 and 1984 more than 100 original Radio reports, and from 1961 onwards also ca. 10 original TV-contributions. In addition, after his death 1985 several TV-films were compiled, designed and broadcast using the existing foto- and film-material. See here the detailed list of audio-, video- and web-contributions in the "Max-Reisch-Biblio-, Media- und Webografie by Ingo Mörth" (section: Audio, Video and Web) For recent and still active websites pertaining to Max Reisch see below (external links).

The Max Reisch Collections

Max Reisch Archive

All manuscripts, private texts (i.e. extensive diaries), all proofs and specimen copies of published texts by Max Reisch, and all photographic and film materials and documents are held by the private ''Max Reisch Archive'', now in Innsbruck (maintained by son Peter Reisch), accessible only on request

Collection of Vehicles

The special motorcycles, automobiles, motorhomes and camping constructions, which were used for his travels, were preserved by Max Reisch, and can now be visited in the "Crosspoint Top Mountain Motorcycle Museum" in Obergurgl. Exhibited are f. e.: * Stelvio Pass-Puch 175, used 1930, construction year (c.y.) 1925 *

-Puch 175, used 1931, c.y. 1926 *

-Puch 250, used 1932, c.y. 1929 *

-Puch 250, used 1933, c.y. 1933 * Transasia- Steyr 100-car, used 1935–1936, c.y. 1934. * "Arabia-Sadigi":The Arabian word sadigi/sadiqi/sadiki means "friend", se
infos on the meaning of "Sadigi"
accessed December 7th, 2024. Gutbrod Atlas 800 based

, used 1952, c.y. 1950. * " Sinai-Moses": Opel Olympia Caravan with a special Roof tent, used 1955–1958, c.y. 1955.

Asiatika collection and "Orient-Archive"

The exhibition at the Crosspoint Museum Timmelsjoch contains also the so-called "Orient-Archive" of Max Reisch, comprising his extensive library of travel books and of abundant literature on countries he traveled, but also many objects of Asian art Max Reisch collected during his travels.

Sources

* besides the many books and publications by Max Reisch himself (see above) there are to be noticed, too: * Horst Christoph: ''Max Reisch – Über alle Straßen hinaus.'' (title English "Max Reisch – beyond all Streets" = a biography of Max Reisch, in German), Tyrolia editors, Innsbruck 2012, ISBN 978-3-7022-3212-2. * Martin Stubreiter: ''Ein Tiroler für die Welt. Die Expeditionen des Max Reisch.'' (title English: "A Tyrolian for the World. On the Expeditions of Max Reisch", in German) In: Autorevue, , vol. 40 2013, no. 12 (December 2013), pp. 116–120. * Peter Urbanek: ''Max Reisch: Wenn einer eine Reise tut.'' (title English: "Max Reisch – if somebody is travelling …", in German) In: Der Standard, , vol 31 2018, no. 342 (December 10, 2018; motor supplement), pp. 3–4. * Jörg Christian Steiner: ''Professor Dr. Max Reisch''. In: the same: ''... unter fremden Sternen. Geschichten vom Leben geschrieben, ausgewählt und recherchiert'' (title English: "... under distant stars. Stories told, selected and researched by life", in German). Vienna 2022: Fegerl self-published, ISBN 978-3-901215-13-1, pp. 105–113. * Alexander W. Trimmel: ''Jack of all Trades: Dr. Max Reisch''. In: Rare & Unique Vehicles, , vol. 3 2023, no. 12 (December 2023): Special Theme „Globetrotters“), titlepage (foto), pp. 60–69.

External links

entry on Max Reisch on the website "Geschichte der Afrikanistik in Österreich" (title in English: "On the History of African studies in Austria")
*
website "Der Tiroler Max Reisch, Forscher-Pionier-Wissenschafter" (title English "The Tyrolian Max Reisch: Researcher, Pioneer, Scientist", in German)

complete Biblio-, Media- and Webography of Max Reisch
compiled by

Ingo Mörth Ingo Mörth (born May 1, 1949, in Grades/ Austria) is an Austrian sociologist. Biography Ingo Mörth studied 1968-1976 business administration and sociology at the Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU) and achieved his PhD in sociology there ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reisch, Max Long-distance motorcycle riders Motorcycle touring writers Austrian travel writers Travel photographers Automotive pioneers World record setters in motorcycling 1912 births 1985 deaths People from Kufstein