HEINRICH BARTH ... through the Maghreb countries, Libya, Egypt, Nubia, Palestine, Asia Minor and Greece. His true life's work which established his worldwide reputation as an Africa explorer was the product of his "great journey" through the Sahara and the Sudan which he undertook from 1850 to 1855 at the request of the British government. The results of the journey were published in 1857 in a work in five volumes in German and English.		In spite of his internationally recognized academic achievements he did not for a long time receive a university chair in Germany, not least because he recognized Africa's "historical dimension", which ran counter to the prevailing view of his time. His work which – against a background profoundly rooted in western culture and classical antiquity – emphasizes the intrinsic value of African culture with no trace of colonial arrogance, builds bridges between the continents and is especially highly esteemed in Africa as an authentic document of pre-colonial culture and history. At the same time, his interdisciplinary view of the interrelationship between man and his environment points the way for present-day interdisciplinary research in Africa.