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Reports THE TACHAI

BRIGADE

A DEVELOPMENT

IN C H I N A

MODEL

-

FOR THIRD

WORLD

COUNTRIES ?

18 % of land of an inferior quality. As this system of land allotment could only maintain a few people, the majority of the poor had to become labourers for the rich upper class or they were compelled to become beggars.

JATZOLD, R. and WEICHERT, K.-H., Trier *

Tachai, a village of some 480 inhabitants, lies approximately 1,000 m a.s.l, in Shansi province west of the Taihang mountains, some 400 km southwest of Peking. The inhabitants comprise the famous Tachai production brigade (MEHNERT 1971, HUMLUM 1977; TING KAI CHEN 1977; TSCHUDI 1973; DORR 1978).A production brigade which is normally made up of several production teams ( 2 0 - I 0 0 households per team), is for administrative purposes comparable to a very large village (up to 3,000 people) or a group of smaller villages. Several production brigades form a people's commune, several people's communes form a district. The evolution of the Tachai production brigade into the model for Chinese agriculture occurred through the determination of its people to become self-reliant in coping with environmental catastrophes. The indisputable success of the brigade is attributed officially to the teaching of Ma% who stated that h u m a n determination together with a political ideology leads to high motivation and selflessness in work. In 1964 Mao proclaimed: "In agriculture learn from Tachai!". This proclamation includes a long-term development scheme which is largely based on self-aid. Tachai lies in the loess region of Northern China. The area is hilly, partly rocky and is devided by deeply cut loess ravines. The climate is of an extreme continental nature. The average temperatures are: in January - 7 ° C and in July + 2 5 o c . The periods of dryness in winter alternate with heavy torrents in summer, whereby the preponderantly very small terraces were repeatedly damaged. The unfavourable circumstances of climate and terrain as well as the social structure of the villages resulted in the fact that before the Revolution of 1949, the majority of the population barely maintained a minimum level of existence. The social structure before the Revolution is shown in Tab 1 I).

Tab 1 Tachai: Social Structure before the Revolution.

A b o u t 82 % of the land which included the best soils were in the hands of the rich upper class who represented 25 % of the population. The o t h e r 7 4 % of the population had to survive on only *

Prof. Dr. R. JATZOLD, Dr. K.-H. WEICHERT, Geogr. Inst., Universit~it Trier, P.B. 3825, D-5500 Trier, FR G e r m a n y

1) All data are collected in Tachai and Hsiyang in March 1978.

After the Revolution, landed property was abolished and the land divided among the poor and lower middle class peasants. From 1949 to 1953 the individual families formed "teams for mutual aid". In 1953, following the Soviet model, Tachai too was changed into an agricultural producer cooperative. It was of a lower type where the livestock still remained private property. In 1956, by adding livestock to the collective property Tachai became a higher level cooperative. These cooperative m o v e m e n t s were integrated in 1958 into the people's c o m m u n e of Tacbai and its neighbouring villages. The c o m m u n e consists of 19 production brigades, one of which is the Tachai production brigade. This admininstrative structure has not changed to any appreciable extent. The important event which led to Tachai's countrywide fame was the disastrous flood in August 1963~caused by torrential rain. Seven days of successive rain resulted in 560 mm of precipitation, the annual average rainfall. The flood swept away the terraces and nearly the entire village as well. Of the eighty families seventyeight lost their dwellings in flood waters. Ninety % of the ripening cereals were flattened by the flood and the depositing loess. Since the inhabitants wished to be self-reliant they refused state money and relief cereals and only accepted short-term emergency credit. First measures were taken to raise nearly all the damaged crops by hand during day-time, while during the nights new dwellings were built. Their efforts were rewarded with an excellent cereal yield of 6,175 kg per hectare. The spontaneous self-aid and the success, however, were only the beginning of a large campaign in favour of land consolidation. The aim of land consolidation was on the one hand to reduce the consequences of heavy rains, which occur with a certain probability, and on the other hand to realize the mechanization of agriculture in a programme of several stages. This programme entails the continuous enlargement of small single terraces to larger ones which can be worked by machines. During the enlargement process, sufficient cultivated area must be left open to guarantee yearly har~/est. Entire hills were levelled and ravines widened to build cascade-like terraces. Resevoirs were built,which among other functions were to collect excessive runoff. In addition these reservoirs were incorporated into an irrigation canal system which was necessary to increase yields further. Most of these alterations were done by handlabour (Fig I), a fact which further glorified the myth of Tachai. The cultivated land had been increased by almost 30 %. Today, the Tachai production brigade consisting of slightly more than 120 workers cultivates about 56 ha (main products: maize, wheat, rice, millet, beans, fruit). In addition,they keep livestock: 200 pigs and 80 adult cattle. The distribution of income units reflects the different sectors of production (Tab 2). Here also can be noted a shift in emphasis from cereal production to the so-called subsidiary occupation, which have been stressed during recent years, particularly fruit growing (Fig 4) and animal husbandry. In 1976, income from the subsidiary industries amounted to 52 % of total gross income.

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Fig 1 Even today human labour is the most important fact in the economic activity of Tachai. The walls of the terraces are always built by hand. The necessary square stones are transported by two-wheeled carts to the place of manufacture (foreground), where they are fitted into the walls with yokes (foreground). When larger terraces are to be combined, people of Tachai are starting more and more to use bulldozers (background), which the c o m m u n e makes available in exchange for petrol and occurring costs of repairs. (Photo: K.-H. Weichert)

Fig 2 The photo shows the cultivation terraces in different stages of development. In the foreground is a new large terrace where people can cultivate efficiently with the help of machines (tracks of a tractor). In the middle and in the background loess ravines can be seen which have been altered by terraces. The size of the terraces there does not allow the use of machines. On the slopes, especially of the right ravine, very small terraces can be seen which have not yet been combined into larger units. (Photo: K.-H. Weichert)

In Tachai increasing yields (Tab 3) have been the result of many improvements in agricultural practices, such as optimal fertilization procedures for which organic fertilizers have mostly been used, of the enormous development of Chinese agronomy which successfully improved cereal and livestock strains, and of the process of developing specific strains adapted to local conditions. The production brigades derive income from sales of their proaucts to the state and to other people's communes or districts. This trade is carried out on the basis of value units based on mutually interchanged (exchanged) goods. Surpluses or differences are

adjusted by money. Thus, cash is mainly received from the state, which buys the surplus production at fixed prices, lf60 Yiian are paid for 1 kg of pork /slaughtering weight), 10 Fen for ] kg of cereals 2). Because of the increasing significance of the subsidiary occupations and processing industries, the income of the production brigade has thereby more improved than the yields (Tab 3 and 4). 2) I YiJan = 100 Fen= 1,26 DM (March 1978) ,~J4,50 DM purchasing power

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Tab 2

Tab 5

Change in the Distribution of Income by Agricultural Sectors.

Breakdown of 1976 income.

Tab 3

Comparison of Average and Total Yields 1 9 5 3 - 1 9 7 7 .

Tab 4 Change in the Production Brigade's Total income 1953--1976.

This fund is to provide for the social institutions such as schools, kindergartens and nurseries, medical aid, old age pensions, cinema etc. The second portion is distributed a m o n g the brigade m e m b e r s according to their work units. The rest forms an investment fund to buy new machines or to improve the agricultural production etc. Taxes paid to the state are low as they do not represent a percentage based on income, b u t rather a fixed sum which decreases percentagewise as income increases. In 1976, Tachai only paid 0.86 % of its gross income in taxes. These extremely low taxes can be explained by the few services the state is obliged to give to the communes, whereas within the western world the state is responsible for most infrastructure investments. In China these responsibilities lie primarily with the production brigades, people's c o m m u n e s and districts. To meet these obligations labour is released from production. For these social contribution the workers receive value units according to their work input or it may even be declared as voluntary c o m m u n a l work which is not paid for. The state's income is mainly based on production from large industrial endeavours and on the resale of agricultural and industrial products.

The distribution of income is not constant, as it is fixed yearly by a revolutionary comm'ittee which represents the population. Great gains have been made with regard to social services. This is in part due to the high rate of increase of the collective fund which has been raised by 6,800 % during the last 20 years. In this context, it is also important to consider Tab 5 in order to appreciate the e x t e n t to which different goods contribute to the e c o n o m y (compare Tab 2 as well). One should note that now 4 1 % of the income originates from animal h u s b a n d r y which before the Revolution brought in very few monies.

After analyzing the factors responsible for the rise in productivity and the development of the total income, it is interesting to note some details of the distribution of income (Tab 6). The income is divided into three parts. The first portion (a high percentage) constitutes the so-called collective fund (fund of accumulation).

Within this economic structure an analysis of the financial situation of the population, that is of the individual income, is of interest. Individual income is worked o u t as a point ratio expressed in Ytian, which are given for one day of work. In 1953 this was 0.3, in 1964 1.2, and in 1976 1.5 points per day. Whereas the total income has increased by 14 times during the last 20 years, the a m o u n t of m o n e y which is paid for labour has only increased by 600 %. This increase in wages is even s o m e w h a t lower if one takes into consideration the 50 % increase in population which occurred since 1955.

Tab 6 Distribution of Selected Periods.

the

income

for

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Fig 3 With the method of intercropping, higher yields up to 50 % result. The photo shows a field of wheat where strips of land have been left for the later planting of maize. (Photo: K.-H. Weichert)

Fig 4 A shift to crops with a higher return, such as fruit-culture, is becoming more and more important in Tachai. On the higher situated terraces near the water basins several types of fruits are being cultivated. In an effort to obtain high yields the inhabitants use simple methods like weighting with stones to make the bearing branches grow parallel to the ground which induces better blossoming. In the right background Ion~ blocks of dwelling houses can be seen. (Photo: E. Lutz)

Brigade members' incomes have been calculated on the basis of 340 working days for men and 300 days for women. The calculations result in an average yearly income of 510 YEan (= 643,-- DM, ~ , 161,--, ~ 320,--) 3) for men and 450 YiJan (= 567,-- DM, 142,--,~ 283,--) for women 4). 3) Comparable purchasing power 2,300,- DM (.~ 4) Plus basic provisions (300 kg of cereals).

575,-, ~ 1,150,-)

Compared with European standards, this is still a very low income and therefore it is not surprising that at least two people must work to maintain a family. In general, babies are cared for in nurseries after the weaning period has ended. Only in exceptional circumstances are children looked after by their grandmother. From their cash income, the families have to pay for their food, clothes and luxury goods. Accommodation, electricity, water,

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heating, health service, kindergarten and school are free or nearly free (housing costs 6 Yilan per year). There is nothing to pay for old age pensions, either, because that is provided for with money from the collective fund (4--5 YiJan per month) 4). Altogether, the economic situation of Tachai must be judged from two aspects. On the one hand, there is an enormous increase in production together with an adequate rate of growth of the total income. On the other hand the individual incomes seem to go just beyond the minimum of existence. They can buy luxury goods such as radios and bycicles after having saved for them for a long time, but the low income does not allow great latitude. With an average working week of 6.5 days and no paid leave, no new needs are developed as is typical of our present society, for example the problem of spending money for hobbies and vacations. This less favourable situation of the individual, however, must be related to the time period before the Revolution of 1949 which is still fresh in the minds of most people. Seen from that point of view, even for the individual enormous economic progress has been achieved. This progress is greater than in most other developing countries. Tachai, however, is supposed to be a model for the future of agriculture in China 5). Therefore, a lot of money has been invested by the state into an exhibition centre on Tachai in the district town Of Hsiyang, some 5 km away. Half a million visitors pass through here yearly. It is indeed a model, when one emphasizes the most important fact, the fivehold increase in yield per hectare which occurred between 1953 and 1977, for in Northern China a threefold increase since the Revolution is considered significant. In Southern China, which was already more developed before the Revolution with regard to fertilization, an increase of even 50 % is said to be noteworthy. The country's average rate of increase in agricultural productivity is even less. Regarding the motto "Learn from Tachai" one must distinguish between general and special lessons. The spirit of self-aid as well as general knowledge of how to increase yields and the improvements of methods form a model worthwhile to follow. The special methods are only partly transferable because of the different geographical conditions in China. This has been realized by the Chinese as well and therefore there is now a model brigade in each geographical agricultural region.

and 3). This income level is very high when compared to those of other developing countries. There annual rural family incomes of about 8 0 0 , - DM ( ~ 200,--, ~ 400,-) are considered good. To judge whether this very attractive model according to these data can be transferred, it is necessary to analyze the technical advancements more carfully and to reflect on the socialistic forms of organization as this may have crucial political consequences. At least ten technical improvements in farming practices have resulted in an increase in yield per hectare and of net income: 1. The highly developed fertilization methods seem to have contributed the greatest share. It is done mostly with compost. This method was developed to a lesser extent in the loess soils region as compared to Southern China. Five kg compost are spread per square metre. New fields get 10 kg/m 2 to start with. All weeds, vegetative harvest remains as well as ashes and faecal matter are composted to provide these enormous quantities of fertilizer. Even wild plants are collected in the mountains for this purpose. Straw, mostly maize straw, is cut into tiny pieces of 5 cm length and added as well. The decomposition is speeded up by a composting method whereby old compost and fresh material are mixed in proportion of I to 5. Decomposition occurs within 2 months. In recent years inorganic ferti/izer is applied too. It is now produced in sufficient quantities in a factory owned by the district. 2. The already mentioned success with plant breeding has been very effective in Tachai as they have put an emphasis on this aspect of development. The district has its own agricultural technical school with new plant breeding facilities nearby. This station developed special strains for use in ecologically similar areas near Tachai. 3. A full use of the growing period during the 150--160 frost free days is achieved through intercropping. This has been very successful especially with maize in half grown up wheat (Fig 3). Although the distance between the wheat rows must be greater to allow for the later planting of maize, the yield of cereals can be increased approximately 50%. In general, the average yield of cereals has been increased through the introduction of maize which is, compared to wheat, more productive.

4. The question of most importance for the future of the world is: to what extent can Tachai be a model for the poor developing countries? These countries are fascinated by the fact that in Tachai the gross income has increased by 1200 % during twenty-three years (1953-76). It is still a growth of 800 % even when taking the rate of population increase into consideration. Even if only 40 % of income are distributed as wages among the members of the production brigade, the remainder given to them in the form of infrastructures, social services or investments is also a benefit. Compared with the incomes in industrialized countries, the yearly net income of a Tachai family (with no working children) of about 1,200,-- DM (o~~ 300,-, $ 600,-) seems to be low. However, one must consider that many things are free (see above) for which families in western societies have to pay. In reality the actual purchasing power of the annual cash income of a Tachai family is nearly 4,500,- DM (a2~ I,I 0 0 , - , ~ 2,250,--). The difference in the two figures is due to the unfavourable exchange rate (footnote 2 5) This has recently been emphasized again by a propaganda campaign in 1975 and 1976 at the first and second Tachai conference.

Animal husbandry has been increased and intensified. In this sector, pig breeding is the most i m p o r t a n t one as leftovers can be used for fodder. As well the pig manure provides an important basis of the fertilizer supply. 5. Partly the increase in yield is based on an improved method of tilling the soil. Deep ploughing, repeated ploughing and hoeing improves the water conservation (similar to dry farming techniques). A similar effect is achieved by planting crops especially maize deeply into the soil in order to reach deeper and therefore more humid soil layers. Deep ploughing above all is dependent on mechanization to a certain extent, but in that aspect Tachai has just started 6). To begin with, the introduction of two-wheeled 'hand tractors' was of chief importance. For the local conditions, a small caterpillar tractor seemed to be more useful. This was consequently developed according to suggestions and instructions 6) This is reflected in the small area of 0.5 ha per labour unit. Because of rationalization only 10 % of the farm workers have been sent up to now into industries of the commune. Their salaries are calculated into the income of the brigade in the form of working units.

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from Tachai, and it is nvw produced in the district. Tachai shall be a model in the mechanization campaign which is going on in China since 1976. 6. As it is a semi-arid area, water conservation during the 3 to 4 m o n t h s of rain is very important. Soil loosening or even specially made holes collect the torrential rains. People try to prevent runoff by building terraces with overlapping walls and dams. Behind the terrace walls ground water is d a m m e d , too. 7. In order to be totally successful in water conservation, improved terraces are necessary. This is done in Tachai to a very great e x t e n t (Fig 2) and can therefore serve as an example. Nevertheless, the relation between expenditure of time as well as energy and yield must be analyzed more closely in order to achieve an economic o p t i m u m . Up to now about ten hours of work were necessary to terrace one square metre of land with rock walls, and this time is spent more often for alterations of old terraces than for building new ones. T o d a y the people of Tachai use several caterpillars for terracing. The brigade has only to pay for the petrol and repairing expenses to the c o m m u n e . 8. With a lot of propaganda it is pointed o u t that because of the new terracing land consolidation was possible, which is necessary for mechanization. The n u m b e r of 4,700 fields in 1953 is reduced to 1,500 today, but only an average size of 0,04 ha could be achieved because of the characteristics of the ground. A special case of terrace cultivation is the building up o f valleys, as flood protection, to regulate the drain.ige and for the reclamation of land. Large terraces in small valleys or wails regulating the river in large valleys have been built for this. 9. The improvements of the drainage areas also include reforestation, which has been carried o u t on the slopes of the hills, above the terraces (nearly 50 ha). In addition to water retention and protection against erosion, the forestry practice has also direct economic benefits. 3 % of Tachai's income now stem from forestry. 10, Very remarkable is the initiation of irrigation. An aqueduct more than 20 km long, carrying water from the m o u n t a i n s to the loess covered hilly regions, was completed at the end of the sixties by the c o m m u n e with the help of the army. Water reservoirs based on the highest places of the brigade's terrain guarantee a regular supply of water. In addition they are used for fish-farming. With the help of irrigation it was possible to diversify and to intensify cultivation on certain portions of the lands. In this normally unfavourable climate for trees, high quality fruits (apples, apricots, peaches, pears, khaki-fruit and walnuts), high yielding grape varieties and vegetables for self-suffiency and nearby markets can now be grown. People have started the cultivation of rice, but this is n o t an optimal use of the valuable irrigation water in a marginal zone of the rice climate and on the permeable loess soils. In consideration of the developing countries the question is: to what e x t e n t has a socialistic form or the organization of a production brigade within a c o m m u n e been necessary for these improvements? Except for the last three or four points this success could have been achieved also through individual private efforts after excess profiteering and the hindrance of non-productive land owners had been abolished in 1949. It is difficult to ascertain in this case to what e x t e n t "a revolutionary vitality" is necessary for development and if the required large scale infrastructure development would have occurred independent-

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ly. It may have been sufficient in order to achieve the profits of the remaining points to form loose cooperatives of a small scale. But then there still remains the problem that such improvements, for example irrigation, cannot reach every m e m b e r ' s field because of unfavourable terrain conditions. In this case production cooperatives should be promoted, but they should not be forced as negative experiences in some countries of Eastern Europe or in Tanzania have shown. The small groups in a system of cooperatives have very important economic roles to play. In comparison with others, the production brigade of Tachai perhaps works especially well because it comprises only 480 people which is smaller than usual (brigades have up to 3000 people). Many members are related to each other. This enables the members to realize the Chinese ambition of increasing the prosperity of the clan within the allowable socialistic small group framework. Productivity and prosperity are closely combined in Tachai. Since the brigade cannot be further subdivided into production teams because of its smallness, the efforts of everybody are for the benefit of his group only. (If there are production teams, they just get a profit share of the production of all teams of a brigade, which is the clearing unit. In that normal case, industrious teams have to pay for lazy ones.) Problems could arise if in the course of further socialistic politics the clearing unit would be the commune and the farmers would become paid labourers. The state is urging it, as the commune could get the additional surplus value which it needs for industrialization and infrastructure. The question then arises whether the interest to increase production will diminish or be maintained. A "socialistic consciousness" can only maintain such an interest for a while. To overcome the natural egoism one needs the motivation of a common idea and the impact of a national or regional leader personality which is very important. But common ideas also loose strength by years, and leaders change. Tachai was lucky to have a strong regional leader personality, whose qualities had been later emphasized in the way that he had risen to one of the vize-president positions of China. As a national leader, Mao had an importance which could be very difficult to reach for m a n y presidents of developing countries. Besides, there are geographical problems of transferability. The model would only be useful for densely populated developing countries because the labour input is very high (one worker per 0.5 ha). In less densely populated regions the productivity per worker should be taken more into consideration. Facts, which should not be ignored are also the diligence, the high average of intelligence and the organizing ability of the Chinese people. The honesty of self-assessment of their own labour inputs through a systematic point classification (MEHNERT 1973, p. 54) seems to be nearly incredible in comparison to many developing countries where corruption and misappropriation are very often found. Even in the field of physical geography there are problems of transferability regarding soil and climate: The richness of loess soil with its great variety of minerals is generally known but its distribution is limited. In this example which deals with coarsegrained and young loess (WISSMANN 1938), the increase in yield has been especially large with the help of humus concentration and improvement of the water economy because it accelerated the soil development process in this semi-arid climate. However, the methods of humus concentration would also have caused a positive effect in tropical regions. Humus has a twenty-four times larger

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holding capacity for nutrient ions as compared to the predominating kaolinite in tropical soils. Therefore, compost manuring is the best foundation for artificial fertilizing, otherwise the nutrient ions are washed out too quickly or in the case of phosphorus they combine with the extremely rich existing iron to complex insolluble ferric phosphate. Also the efficiency with which organic matter is recycled as well as the fertilizing with fireplace ash, animal or faecal manure are worthy of imitation. The transportation problem of these amounts of manure, which often also occurs in tropical regions without draught animals, has been solved exemplary with bikes, cable-carts, and two-wheeled handcarts (Fig I). The danger of infection as a consequence of faecal manure has been diminished because of the efficient care for the sick. This would be another problem to overcome with the adoption of such methods in other developing countries.

Especially worth of imitation for developing countries is the example of Tachai to create most things by one's own resources. However this motto should not be accepted without forthought for even in Tachai there had been much trial and error. High terrace walls for example had been built straight-lined at first and therefore broke down several times before the parabolic shape was applied. Already proven methods should always be used. Well organized centres for agricultural advice, information leaflets and an instructive radio service turn out to be on the basis of input-output analyses the most effective development aids. As an overall conclusion it may be said: even non-socialist developing countries may "Learn from Tachai", although the Chinese concept of development is only partly transferable (KOLB 1976).

References BUCHANAN, K.: The transformation of the Chinese earth. London 1970.

KOLB, A.: Ostasien, China-Japan-Korea, Geographie eines Kutturerdteils. Heidelberg 1963.

BUCK, J.L.: Land and agricultural resources. In: China, a Handbook, ed. by Yuan-li WU. New York 1973.

KOLB, A.: Entwicklungskonzept, Aktionszellen und Arealentwicklung in China. Geogr. Zeitschrift, 64, 4, 1976.

CHEN, Ting Kai (mit Beitr~igen von K. Buchanan, H. Hamm und R. Sturm): Die Volksrepublik China: Nord und SiJd in der Entwicklung. Stuttgart 1977. DOMES, J.: Sozialismus in Chinas D6rfern. L~ndliche Gesellschaftspolitik in der VR China 1949--1977. Schriften der nieders~chsischen Landeszentrale fiir politische Bildung, Neue Weltmacht China. 8. Hannover 1977. DORR, H.: Volksrepublik China. In: Ostasien, ed. by P. S C H I L L E R a.o., Fischer L~inderkunde 1. Frankfurt 1978.

MEHNERT, K.: China nach dem Sturm. Stuttgart 1971. SKIBBE, B.: China. Eine Landeskunde. Heidelberg 1959. TREGEAR, T.R.: Economic geography of China. London 1970. TSCHUDI, A.B.: Peoples communes in China. Norsk Geogr. Tidsskrift, 5--37, 1973.

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WANG, Teh Chih: Die Dauer der ariden, humiden und nivalen Zeiten des Jahres in China. - TiJbinger geographische und geotogische Abhandlungen, II, 7, Ohringen 1941.

HUMLUM, J.: China meistert den Hunger. GeoColleg. Kiel 1977.

WISSMANN, H.v.: Ober Li~l~bildung und WiJrm-Eiszeit in China. Geogr. Zeitschrift 44, 201-220, 1938.

FOCHLER-HAUCKE, G.: Die chinesischen Volkskommunen. Geogr. Rundschau 18,137--144, 1966.

HONOURING WALTER CHRISTALLER Walter Christaller, world famous for having laid the foundations of the Central Place Theory, will be honoured on occasion of the I 0 th anniversary of his death. The Christaller-founded German Association for Applied Geography jointly with both the Regional Science Association German Section and the Academy for Regional Science and Planning are pleased to invite an international academic audience for a workshop-session on the Central Place Theory and its Scientific Consequences to be held at Darmstadt, FR Germany, on 30 and 31, 1979. For detailed information please apply to: Verband Deutscher Berufsgeographen P.O.B. 10 63 25 D-2000 Hamburg I, FR Germany

OBITUARY

Editor and publisher lament the violent death of Gerhard Kr~imer on September I0 th, 1978 whilst travelling as a tourist in Thailand. As a highly qualified cartographer Mr. Kr~imer has very substantially contributed to the quality and standard of GeoJournal.