Editing Georg Forster (section)

== Early life ==
Georg Forster was born in [[Mokry Dwór, Pomeranian Voivodeship|Nassenhuben]]{{sfn|Thomas|Berghof|2000|p=xix}}{{refn|group=nb|Some sources indicate that the birth took place in the rectory of [[Wiślina|Hochzeit]], a village very close to Nassenhuben on the other side of the [[Motława]] river.{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=15–16}}}} (now Mokry Dwór, Poland), a small village near Danzig, on 27 November 1754.{{sfn|Enzensberger|1996|p=10}}{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=18}}{{refn|group=nb|Some variants of the date of birth exist in the literature, with 26 November common in earlier literature.{{sfn|Saine|1972|p=18}}{{sfn|Hoare|1976|p=18}} The baptism registries of Nassenhuben and of {{ill|St Peter and Paul, Gdańsk|de|St. Peter und Paul (Danzig)|pl|Kościół św. Piotra i Pawła w Gdańsku}} list 27 November as date of birth and 5 December as date of baptism.{{sfn|Strehlke|1861|pp=201–203}}{{sfn|Enzensberger|1996|p=15}} The date of 27 November is claimed by both father and son;{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=353}} for example, Reinhold's diary entry for 27 November 1772 starts "This day was George's birthday & we were all very happy."{{sfn|Forster|1982|p=184}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Forster |first=Johann Reinhold |title=Continuation of a Journal of a Voyage on board his Majesties Ship Resolution |url=https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht/?PPN=PPN833628925&PHYSID=PHYS_0007 |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=Digitalisierte Sammlungen der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin}}</ref>}} Georg was the oldest of seven surviving children of [[Johann Reinhold Forster]], a [[Calvinism|Reformed Protestant]] pastor and scholar, and his wife Justina Elisabeth, {{nee|Nicolai}}.{{sfn|Thomas|Berghof|2000|p=xix}}{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=15–16}} From an early age, Georg was interested in the study of nature, and his father first learned natural history from the books of [[Carl Linnaeus]] and then taught his son biology as well as Latin, French, and religion.{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=21–22}}{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|pp=19–20}} In 1765, Reinhold obtained a commission by the Russian government to inspect the recently founded colonies near [[Saratov]] on the [[Volga River]], which were mostly settled by [[Volga German|German colonists]].{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=25–26}} Ten-year old Georg accompanied his father on the {{convert|4000|km|mi|-2|abbr=on}} journey, which reached the [[Kalmyk Steppe]] and [[Lake Elton]], and collected hundreds of specimens of plants, helping his father with naming and identification.{{sfn|Hoare|1976|p=31}} From October 1765, he attended [[Saint Peter's School (Saint Petersburg)|Saint Peter's School]] in St Petersburg,{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=26}} while his father prepared a report about the state of the colony.{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=32–33}} Reinhold's report was critical of the voivode of Saratov and of the conditions in the colony, and the Forsters left Russia without payment amidst quarrel with [[Grigory Orlov]].{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=26}}{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=33–36}} After a sea journey from Kronstadt, during which Georg learned English and practiced Russian, they arrived in London on 4 October 1766.{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=27}}{{sfn|Hoare|1976|p=36}} Twelve-year old Georg competently translated [[Mikhail Lomonosov|Lomonosov]]'s history of Russia into English and continued it until the present, and the printed book was presented to the [[Society of Antiquaries of London|Society of Antiquaries]] on 21 May 1767.{{sfn|Gordon|1975|pp=30–31}}{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=28}} His father took up a teaching position at [[Warrington Academy]] in June 1767, succeeding [[Joseph Priestley]], leaving Georg behind in London as apprentice with a London merchant until the rest of the family arrived in England in September 1767.{{sfn|Uhlig|2004|p=29}}{{sfn|Hoare|1976|pp=50–51}} In Warrington, Georg learned classics and religion from [[John Aikin (Unitarian)|John Aikin]], mathematics from John Holt and French and natural history from his father.{{sfn|Hoare|1976|p=52}}{{sfn|Steiner|1977|p=12}}