Édouard-Alfred Martel
Porto Cristo,
Spain
Édouard-Alfred Martel, born on July 1, 1859, in Pontoise, Val-d'Oise, and passed away on June 3, 1938, in Montbrison, is widely recognized as the "father of modern speleology." He played a pivotal role as a global trailblazer in the field of cave exploration, research, and documentation.
Martel dedicated himself to the exploration of numerous caves, not only in his native France but also in many other countries. His tireless efforts brought attention to the pursuit of cave exploration and established speleology as a distinct scientific discipline. Furthermore, Martel meticulously maintained an extensive archive of his findings and accomplishments. In 1895, he founded the Société de Spéléologie, the world's first organization solely dedicated to the study of caves.