Paul Friedrich Peter Bauer (29 December 1896 – 9 January 1990) was a German

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and

mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...

Biography

Bauer was born at

Kusel Kusel (; written ''Cusel'' until 1865) is a town in the Kusel (district), Kusel Districts of Germany, district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the seat of the Kusel-Altenglan ''Verbandsgemeinde'' and is also the district seat. The well-kno ...

in the Palatinate region of Germany. As a schoolboy, he first visited the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

on a cycling tour through the

Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...

via

Bolzano Bolzano ( ; ; or ) is the capital city of South Tyrol (officially the province of Bolzano), Northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The ...

and

Merano Merano (, ; ) or Meran () is a (municipality) in South Tyrol, Northern Italy. Generally best known for its Spa town, spa resorts, it is located within a Depression (geology), basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to Height above mean sea ...

Lake Constance Lake Constance (, ) refers to three bodies of water on the Rhine at the northern foot of the Alps: Upper Lake Constance (''Obersee''), Lower Lake Constance (''Untersee''), and a connecting stretch of the Rhine, called the Seerhein (). These ...

. He saw active service in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and spent the end of that war as a prisoner in England. His interest in climbing continued as he studied law in Munich. Travelling on a tight budget with friends he tackled many of the classic climbs in central Europe. In 1928 he visited the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region spanning Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is situated between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, comprising parts of Southern Russia, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The Caucasus Mountains, i ...

with three friends, where they climbed to the summit of

Dykh-Tau Dykh-Tau or Dykhtau (; , derived from Turkic "dik dagh" which means 'Jagged Mount'), is the second-highest mountain in Russia and Europe with an elevation of 5,205 m (17,077 ft) above sea level. It is located in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia; its ...

– second highest peak in Europe. In 1929 he led a team of nine German Mountaineers in a first attempt on

Kangchenjunga Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at in a section of the Himalayas, the ''Kangchenjunga Himal'', which is bounded in the west by the Tamur River, in the north by the Lhonak River and Jongsang La, and ...

. They equipped themselves well, but were turned back by poor weather and bad conditions having reached 26,000 feet. Returning in 1931, Bauer's team were again rebuffed by the sheer size and scale of the Mountain. It was during this second attempt on Kangchenjunga, that Hermann Schaller lost his life. In 1932 Bauer won a gold medal in the art competitions of the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a Multi-s ...

for his "Am Kangehenzonga", an account of his 1931 attempt to climb the Himalayan peak

. Following two failed attempts Bauer found it difficult to raise funds for a third attempt; the German public's attention now turned to

Nanga Parbat Nanga Parbat () (; ), known locally as Diamer (), is the ninth-highest mountain on Earth and its summit is at above sea level. Lying immediately southeast of the northernmost bend of the Indus River in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-a ...

. After the disastrous 1934 expedition, Bauer headed up a training climb in 1936 which found success on

Siniolchu Siniolchu is one of the tallest mountains of the Indian state of Sikkim. The mountain is considered to be particularly aesthetically attractive, having been described by Douglas Freshfield as "the most superb triumph of mountain architecture a ...

. His ventures led to prominent positions in German mountain climbing organizations during the Nazi era. One of his objectives during that time was to eliminate Jews from these organizations. During World War II, Bauer was an officer in the

Gebirgsjäger ''Gebirgsjäger'' () is a German language, German military term for light infantry trained in mountain warfare. Currently used in the militaries of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the term includes the word ''Jäger (military), jäger'', anot ...

, a regiment of specially trained Alpine Troops. He describes his return to the Caucasus as not what he had expected – at the head of two thousand troops in 1943.''Kangchenjunga Challenge'' William Kimber, London 1955. Page 29.

Publications in English

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References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bauer, Paul 1896 births 1990 deaths German mountain climbers Olympic gold medalists in art competitions German male poets 20th-century German poets Medalists at the 1932 Summer Olympics 20th-century German male writers Art competitors at the 1932 Summer Olympics Gebirgsjäger of World War II