HiN IV, 6 (2003)
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The famous German scientist Alexander von Humboldt visited Mexico in 1803. He made several efforts to preserve the remainders of the so called ”Museo histórico indiano” which had been collected about fifty years before by the Italian Lorenzo Boturini Benaduci and which was at that time confiscated by the viceroyal administration. The fate of the unfortunate collector, his ideas and the failure of his intentions have caused new research into his motives and the results of his efforts. A discussion of the value of sources available to scholars which are related to the original inhabitants of the precolonial Mexico seems to be justified. The paper will discuss the opportunities and difficulties in collecting documents at the time of the Spanish dominion, and within that time the extraordinary character and eminent importance of Boturini’s collection. Moreover, it is evaluating his academic work for American anthropology.
In a letter dated August 6, 1797 to his friend Christian Gottfried Körner, Friedrich Schiller characterized Alexander von Humboldt as a person of limited imagination, who, in spite of his numerous activities, would never be able to achieve greatness in his scientific pursuits. Yet, only in 1849 did Humboldt learn of Schiller’s opinion from the published correspondence between Schiller and Körner. Nonetheless, Humboldt declared that this basically unjust characterization of himself by Schiller would never prevent him from admiring the great German playwright and poet; moreover, Humboldt looked for comfort in a similarly harsh opinion of Johann Gottfried Herder also expressed by Schiller. In the end, Humboldt could barely conceal his feelings of disappointment regarding Schiller’s opinion, especially because Humboldt had considered Schiller to be his friend.