Franz Kossmat: Subdivision of the Variscan Mountains - a translation of the German text with supplementary notes

Abstract

This work is in honour of Franz Kossmat (1871–1938) and his esteemed paper the Gliederung des varistischen Gebirgsbaues published 1927 in Abhandlungen des Sächsischen Geologischen Landesamts, Volume 1, pages 1 to 39. It constitutes the foundation of the general subdivision of the Central European Variscides into several geotectonic zones and the idea of large-scale nappe transport of individual units. In the English translation presented here an attempt is made to provide a readable text, which should still reflect Kossmat’s style but would also be readable for a non-German speaking community either working in the Variscan Mountains or having specific interests in historical aspects of geosciences. Supplementary notes provide information about Kossmat’s life and the content of the text. Kossmat’s work is a superb example of how important geological fieldwork and mapping are for progress in geoscientific research.