Prof. Yehuda Karmon

(1912-1995)

Abstract

Yehuda Karmon (Leopold Kaufman) was born in Auschwitz, Poland and later moved with his family to Leignitz, Silesia. In 1938 he emigrated to Palestine. He began his scientific career in Geography at the age of 38, having been appointed as a teaching assistant within the newly-developed Department of Geography at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. In 1953 he received his Masters Degree for his thesis which focused on the draining of the Huleh swamps. As Karmon’s scientific work evolved, he shifted his focus. The fifties for example, were mostly dedicated to the research of selected regions in Israel. During the sixties he turned to regional studies in West Africa, especially Nigeria and Ghana. In the seventies he turned his research sights to urban issues and the study of world-wide ports, including a field survey of 250 harbors. Although he had already retired from active teaching, he continued his academic work throughout the eighties, more vigorous than ever. The guideline for Karmon’s scientific endeavors was his concept of Geography as the study of cultural phenomena. This world-view was best expressed through the “Marine Civilization Center”, which he conceived, established and directed during the first years of its activities. Yehuda Karmon’s scientific contribution cannot be confined to his long list of research projects; his most profound influence was on his students - in terms of their modes of thinking and attitudes towards Geography.

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