Oskar von Riesenthal


Julius Adolf Oskar von Riesenthal was a German forester, ornithologist, hunter and writer.
He was born in Breslau, Silesia, to a family of Austrian descent. His father died when he was a year old, and he moved with his mother to Oels, where he spent his childhood and early youth until matriculating from Gymnasium. He studied at the Eberswalde Forestry Academy in Neustadt-Eberswalde, becoming a Revierförster in the Tuchola Forest, where he began studying ornithology. In 1871 he became Oberförster in Altenkirchen, where he wrote his first book, Die Raubvögel Deutschlands und des angrenzenden Mitteleuropas. He later became Royal Forester for the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Domains in Charlottenburg, where he stayed until his death in 1898.

Works

The first stanza from one of his poems, "Waidmannsheil", is printed on the Jägermeister bottle label.
Waidmannsheil
Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild,

Daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild,

Waidmännisch jagt, wie sich's gehört,

Den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt!
Das Kriegsgeschoß der Haß regiert, -

Die Lieb’ zum Wild den Stutzen führt:

Drum denk’ bei Deinem täglich Brot

Ob auch Dein Wild nicht leidet Noth?
Behüt's vor Mensch und Thier zumal!

Verkürze ihm die Todesqual!

Sei außen rauh, doch innen mild, -

Dann bleibet blank Dein Ehrenschild!