Zitate von Christoph Kolumbus
Christoph Kolumbus
Geburtstag: 1451
Todesdatum: 20. Mai 1506
Christoph Kolumbus war ein italienischer Seefahrer in kastilischen Diensten, der im Jahr 1492 Amerika entdeckte, als er eine Insel der Bahamas erreichte. Darüber hinaus wurde er zum ersten Vizekönig vom Vizekönigreich Neuspanien.
Im Wettlauf mit Portugal um den Seeweg nach Indien im Rahmen des Indienhandels wollte Kolumbus den Weg im Westen erschließen. Das Ziel seiner ersten Entdeckungsreise war eine Hafenstadt in China, das im damaligen Sprachgebrauch zu Indien gezählt wurde.
Auf seinen Entdeckungsreisen zwischen 1492 und 1504 steuerte Kolumbus vor allem die Großen Antillen an, darunter bei allen vier Reisen Hispaniola , wo er erste Kolonien gründete. Erst auf seiner vierten Reise betrat er im heutigen Honduras das amerikanische Festland. Kolumbus hatte nicht bemerkt, dass es sich um einen bis dahin unbekannten Kontinent handelte. Diese Auffassung vertrat erst Amerigo Vespucci, nach dem die Neue Welt schließlich Amerika genannt wurde.
Die ersten Entdecker Amerikas waren die Vorfahren der Indianer, die vor langer Zeit von Asien her in den zuvor menschenleeren Kontinent eindrangen . Außerdem wurde Amerika schon rund 500 Jahre vor Kolumbus von Leif Eriksson oder anderen Isländern besucht. Wenn Kolumbus gleichwohl bis heute als maßgeblicher europäischer Entdecker Amerikas gilt, ist dies darauf zurückzuführen, dass erst seine Reisen zu dauerhafter Kolonisierung durch Menschen anderer Kontinente in geschichtlicher Zeit führten.
Zitate Christoph Kolumbus
„Kein Ergebnis menschlichen Fortschritts wird durch ungeteilte Zustimmung erzielt, und jene die aufgeklärter sind als alle anderen, sind auch dazu verurteilt, diesem Licht zu folgen, allen Widerständen zum Trotz.“
Bei diesen Worten handelt es sich um eine literarische Erfindung aus Ridley Scotts Spielfilm "1492 – Die Eroberung des Paradieses", wo sie der junge Fernando als die schriftliche Äußerung seines Vaters Christoph Columbus zitiert, an die er sich am besten erinnere. Deutsch in: Hans Krah / Klaus-Michael Ort. Weltentwürfe in Literatur und Medien. Kiel 2002. Seite 318
"Nothing that results from human progress is achieved with unanimous consent. And those who are enlightened before the others are condemned to persue that light in spite of others." http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103594/
Zugeschrieben
„I should not proceed by land to the East, as is customary, but by a Westerly route, in which direction we have hitherto no certain evidence that any one has gone.“
3 August 1492 diary entry http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html
Journal of the First Voyage
„I promise this, that if I am supported by our most invincible sovereigns with a little of their help, as much gold can be supplied as they will need, indeed as much of spices, of cotton, of mastic gum (which is only found in Chios), also as much of aloes wood, and as many slaves for the navy, as their Majesties will wish to demand.“
"Concerning the Islands Recently Discovered in the Indian Sea" (14 March 1493)
„When there are such lands there should be profitable things without number.“
27 November 1492
Journal of the First Voyage
„Here the men lost all patience, and complained of the length of the voyage, but the Admiral encouraged them in the best manner he could, representing the profits they were about to acquire, and adding that it was to no purpose to complain, having come so far, they had nothing to do but continue on to the Indies, till with the help of our Lord, they should arrive there.“
10 October 1492
Variant translation: Here the people could stand it no longer and complained of the long voyage; but the Admiral cheered them as best he could, holding out good hope of the advantages they would have. He added that it was useless to complain, he had come [to go] to the Indies, and so had to continue it until he found them, with the help of Our Lord.
As translated in Journals and Other Documents on the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1963) by Samuel Eliot Morison, p. 62
Journal of the First Voyage
„Variants include "You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."“
Actually by André Gide.
Misattributed
„Saw pardelas and a green rush near the vessel. The crew of the Pinta saw a cane and a log; they also picked up a stick which appeared to have been carved with an iron tool, a piece of cane, a plant which grows on land, and a board. The crew of the Nina saw other signs of land, and a stalk loaded with rose berries. These signs encouraged them, and they all grew cheerful.“
11 October 1492
Journal of the First Voyage
„I came to serve you at the age of 28 and now I have not a hair on me that is not white, and my body is infirm and exhausted. All that was left to me and my brothers has been taken away and sold, even to the cloak that I wore, without hearing or trial, to my great dishonor.“
Letter to the Sovereigns (1503)
„At two o'clock in the morning the land was discovered, at two leagues' distance; they took in sail and remained under the square-sail lying to till day, which was Friday, when they found themselves near a small island, one of the Lucayos, called in the Indian language Guanahani. Presently they descried people, naked, and the Admiral landed in the boat, which was armed, along with Martin Alonzo Pinzon, and Vincent Yanez his brother, captain of the Nina. The Admiral bore the royal standard, and the two captains each a banner of the Green Cross, which all the ships had carried; this contained the initials of the names of the King and Queen each side of the cross, and a crown over each letter Arrived on shore, they saw trees very green many streams of water, and diverse sorts of fruits.“
Variant translation: At two hours after midnight appeared the land, at a distance of two leagues. They handed all sails and set the treo, which is the mainsail without bonnets, and lay-to waiting for daylight Friday, when they arrived at an island of the Bahamas that was called in the Indians' tongue Guanahani.
As translated in Journals and Other Documents on the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1963) by Samuel Eliot Morison, p. 64
Journal of the First Voyage
