Jeremy Triefenbach

Jeremy Triefenbach, probably the most prominent member of the Triefenbach family of Dietzenbach (nr.Hessen) Germany, was born in the early 1820s and died at the very end of the 19th Century.

Credited with being a pioneer of the notion of outdoor recreation, and a key influence on Kurt Hahn, who became known as the father of the organised outdoor recreation movement (learning by experiencing), Triefenbach became famous for tackling many of the hardest climbs that Europe had to offer at the time. He is said to have survived being trapped in a snowdrift for 13 days by eating only melted snow. His autobiography, "It's a good deal," contains his account of this event.

During the 1860's Triefenbach, along with his brother Michael, who also shared a passion for outdoor activity, relocated the family to Illinois, where he remained for the rest of his life.