President of the Guyana Heritage Society, Ben Ter Welle said that the occasion was very special as it combined heritage and history, a Government Information Agency (GINA) report stated. He said that while Schomburgk did a lot of scientific publications, the book is a summary of all his travels around the country.
Minister of Culture Dr Frank Anthony noted that the expeditions of Schomburgk have contributed to understanding the topography of Guyana and also helped the Europeans to get a glimpse of the country during the colonial times. ‘Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana,’ he stated, has branded Guyana and has inspired writers and painters. He noted that Schomburgk was a global citizen, botanist, surveyor and cartographer.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds pointed out that Guyanese should feel challenged to produce an equivalent and stated that hardships today pale in comparison to what was done. German Ambassador Dr. Ernst Martens, noted that it is something to be proud of since it shaped the image of this country, and Schomburgk along with his brother dedicated long parts of their lives to this country
The initiative to resuscitate Schomburgk’s work was spearheaded by former Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Gail Teixeira in 2004 and this was done through the Heritage Society along with funding from German and Dutch Governments and the support of the ministry and other stakeholders.
Copies of the work were presented to the Prime Minister, Minister Anthony, Ambassador Martens, Teixeira, and the University of Guyana and National Libraries.
Robert Schomburgk (1804-1865), led two expeditions in the then British Guiana from August 1835 to August 1839, and again from January 1841 to May 1841. During his second trip his brother Moritz Richard Schomburgk (1811-1891) accompanied him. Both brothers were born in Freyburg on the Unstrut, a small township in Germany. Schomburgk is also credited with the discovery of the giant water lily also called the Victoria Regia Lily in the Berbice River in 1837, which has become the country’s national flower.
