FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[Montanpark]

Hi all,
i read Chris´ entry and i think that it is a good idea to introduce the 'regulars' here a bit more (BTW, @Peter Megaw, i really enjoyed reading your introduction also :-) ).

So here we go:
My name is Roger Lang, i am a mineralogist (rare and endangered species in Germany nowadays) and i live in the real centre of Europe, the Saarland, one of the smallest federal areas of Germany.

I studied mineralogy at RWTH Aachen and my diploma thesis was on the formation and geological setting of baryte-sulfide veins of the eastern Rhine graben margin near Freiburg. Later i worked some years on the volcanic and sedimentary hosted epigenetic copper deposits of the Saar-Nahe region to get my Dr. (PhD) but i did not finish until now :-( because i got a nice job at the Geological Survey of Rhineland-Palatinate where i am in charge of geotourism, protection of geological heritage and 'geological public relations' since 1999. This is quite far away from my former 'scientific' interests which included ore petrology, ore microscopy and fluid inclusion studies as example.

I collect minerals since i was around 10 years old, when my grandpa, a mining engineer, started to bring ore and mineral samples for me. Having collected very regionally during my Aachen time (Stolberg, La Calamine, etc.) i paused collecting around 1998, sold a lot of my former accumulated stuff and got back around 2001. Now i am focused on aesthetic specimens worldwide and of course german and european classics with old labels. I also collect mineralogical, geological and mining related literature to better understand the stuff i get ;-) and historic mining is also one of my hobbies (and also part of the job).

A part of my collection is permanently displayed at the Pfaelzisches Bergbaumuseum Imsbach where i am an active staff member and i am committed with the Historic Copper Mine Fischbach (Historisches Kupferbergwerk Fischbach/Nahe) - a visitors mine. Another very nice field of work is the editorship of the 'Zeitschrift zur Geschichte des Berg- und Huettenwesens', a 2 issues a year magazine dedicated to the mining history of southwestern Germany in first place but also all around Europe and more.

So you might notice that i am quite dedicated to minerals and mining but my first focus is my lovely family with 4 kids :-)

I really enjoy to participate here (and in the one or other forum) as it is a source of knowlegde, of very nice contacts (i had the honour to meet some of you people here in person already) and also the hope to help other people who are interested in this beautiful hobby and the science behind as far as i am able to.

Attached my still all time favourite mineral specimen .. and also a bit of a logo for Montanpark already ;-) .. an elbaite from Pederneira approx 10 cm high.


For now,
cheers
Roger

[zanthal]

Nice to meet you Roger. That sample is really spectacular.

[John S. White]

Thank you, Roger, for the biographical information. I am really surprised that we have not met, I am sure we must have many German friends in common.

The elbatite is stunning and the photo is superb. I assume that this is your photo?

[Montanpark]

Hi John,

ty for your comment. I am sure that we both know some german collectors friends in common. I am also sure that we may have seen each other at Munich show maybe :-)

So for sure next time ! My next show will be Ste. Marie aux Mines (where i met Jordi and Chris last year - see my mindat blog about the show) where I will hopefully join Philipp Becker at his booth for the whole week. I would be glad to have the opportunity to meet more of you all.

And yes, the photo of the (repaired) elbaite is my photo ;-) .. it is quite a few years old and was one of the first tries with my old (and meanwhile obsolete) CANON Powershot G2 and the (photoshopped) technique with the 'johnbettsified' background. I hope to get a new camera setup this year to replace my actual S5 IS which has come to its limitations.

Cheers
Roger