Fritz Wilhelm Holm [1] ( dat. Frits Vilhelm Holm , 1881 [2] - 1930 ) is a Danish traveler and adventurer , best known for his attempt to seize the Nestorian stele , with a view to exporting it to Europe or the United States . Subsequently, this activity of his was called the Holm-Nestorian Expedition to Xian .
| Fritz Holm | |
|---|---|
| Frits holm | |
 Holm on arrival in the USA in 1908. Photo from the “ The New York Times ” page. | |
| Birth name | Frits vilhelm holm |
| Date of Birth | July 23, 1881 |
| Date of death | March 9, 1930 (48 years old) |
| Citizenship |  Denmark |
| Occupation | scientist, traveler, adventurer |
| Spouse | Margaret McDonau Green (1919-1928) |
Biography
Fritz Wilhelm Holm was born on July 23, 1881 [1] . In his books, as a rule, he shortened the name to Fritz Holm or Fritz V. Holm , while American newspapers called him Fritz von Holm , claiming that he was a member of European nobility [1] .
Sian Expedition
The most famous in 1907 for his attempt to master the most ancient monument of Christianity in China - the Nestorian Stela . Holm intended to commit a theft for the purpose of resale to museums in Europe or the United States. The Sian authorities, having learned about the activities of the Danish adventurer, moved the stela to the Sian “Stela Forest ” [1] .
Having lost the chance to take possession of the stele, Holm hired the stone-cutters who made her copy. With the help of the Russian consul, who represented Denmark's interests in China in those years, he took her to New York and tried to sell her to the Metropolitan Museum . Although the museum’s directorate did not want to buy a copy of the stele, it was exhibited there for about 10 years, until George Leary, one of the richest New Yorkers, in 1917 bought it and sent it to Rome as a gift to the Pope [3] .
Late biography
On October 9, 1919, Fritz Holm married Margaret McDonau Green (died November 16, 1928 in Neuilly-sur-Seine ), the only daughter of Warren L. Green, president of the American Bank Note Company [4] .
He died on March 9, 1930 from pneumonia [5] .
Notes
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Keevak, 2008 , pp. 117-121
- D " DEN NESTORIANSKE STELES ÅRHUNDREDIGE BESKED; Mere end tusind gr gamle, fortæller disse inscript i i kopien i Metropolitan Museum om den tidlige kristendommen i Kina ", The New York Times , 12. juli, 1908, Søndag. Section: Magazine Section, Page SM6. (I denne artikel er han referet som "26 år gammel")
- ↑ NEW CAPTAIN ON ST. LOUIS .; Hartley, Young American Line Commander, Praised for Handling Ship . The New York Times , January 29, 1917
- ↑ Miss Green Wed to Dr. Frits holm . The New York Times , October 10, 1919
- ↑ FV HOLM DEAD; DANISH EXPLORER; Succumbs to Pneumonia - ... New York Times - Mar 10, 1930
Literature
- Carus, Paul; Wylie, Alexander & Holm, Frits (1909), Frits V. Holm ... , The Open court publishing company , < https: // archive .org / details / nestorianmonume00holmgoog >
- Holm, Frits (2001), Gangias Press LLC, ISBN 0-9713097-6-0 , < https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7gjWGWRyWQYC > Archived copy of November 10, 2012 on Wayback Machine . Originally published by: Hutchinson & Co, London, 1924.
- Keevak, Michael (2008), The Story of a Stele: China's Nestorian Monument and Its Reception in the West, 1625-1916 , ISBN 962-209-895-9 , < https://books.google.co.uk/books ? id = SCsCcij1S4AC >