Kurt Georg Naumann (1901–1978) was a German scientist, trapper and pioneer of the early local exploration and use of oil wells and natural gas deposits in the northern catchment area of Athabasca River in Canada.
Biography
Georg Naumann was the eldest son of the Radeberg factory worker August Otto Naumann (1874–1922) and his wife Anna, née Berger (1876–1966), who had another five children (four sons and one daughter). After the early death of his father, the responsibility for the supporting of the family fell on Georg's – the eldest son's – shoulders. That was difficult, all the more so, as the family's basis means of subsistence were at risk after the Great War and the following years. After being a schoolboy in Lotzdorf, he trained to be a miller, a baker and a sawmiller at Liegauer Grundmühle. In his free time he worked in the field of science and self-studied, taking advantage of the offers of the German group Kosmos Gesellschaft der Naturfreunde. The family lived on the outskirts of the town of Radeberg near Dresdner Heide (a large forest area). In this way it was convenient for him to occupy himself with forestry and hunting from early childhood. At the beginning of the 1920s he became unemployed as a result of the recession and depression in the economy and he wanted to join the many emigrants to the United States, Canada, Brazil or Australia.
The taxidermist and naturalist Max Hinsche (1896–1939) from Radeberg was looking for a partner for his expedition to the northwest of Canada when he met Naumann. A research assignment for a several years' expedition to the northwest of Canada had been given to Max Hinsche by the Staatlichen Museen für Tierkunde und Völkerkunde Dresden. He chose Naumann as his companion. In Max Hinsche's book "Kanada wirklich erlebt", which was published in 1938, Naumann is documented as "Partner N". Almost without means they both started their expedition. On May 27, 1926, they embarked the steam turbine-powered ship Empress of France from Hamburg to Quebec. In Canada they worked on a farm near Winnipeg in order to earn the money for food and equipment for their expedition. After that they travelled by Canadian National Railway via Edmonton northwards to Athabasca Landing. From there they took a boat and went ca. 250 km downstream (northwards) along Athabasca River towards their aimed destination, the primeval forests of Athabasca River, near the ancient Indian landing place Pelican Portage. Here they built their first log cabin, later they built a second cabin near House River.
In their first Canadian winter Naumann's and Hinsche's living conditions were dramatic. They suffered from hunger and severe frost (frostbite). Boat trips on the unpredictable Athabasca River nearly ended in disaster. Once Max Hinsche was suffering from a dangerous gunshot wound when Naumann together with Indians of Plains Cree (Paskwa Wi Iniwak) was able to save his companion's life. After the first winter they parted from each other for economic reasons. Naumann started his own way of life near Athabasca River 10 km downstream. In the summer months he lived on fishing, hunting and growing of arable crop, in winter on being a trapper and selling skins. He ran a trap line of up to a hundred kilometers. Naumann's Canadian citizenship was documented in 1938.
Naumann was not married. He had 15 children in several intimate relations, who were descended from the French family line Cardinal. After the separation from the women he brought up five of his children as a single father in his log cabin in Pelican Portage: George, Hazel, Garry, Rose Mary and Jerry Naumann. Naumann died on June 6, 1978, at the age of 76 years in Athabasca, Canada – without ever returning to Germany. He is buried in the cemetery in Athabasca.