Eduard Seler

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Eduard Seler

Eduard Georg Seler (born December 5, 1849 in Crossen on the Oder , Brandenburg province , † November 23, 1922 in Berlin ) was a German American and Mexican scholar.

Life

In 1876 Seler taught at the Dorotheenstädtisches Gymnasium in Berlin . He had to give up the job for health reasons and work as a private scholar until his marriage. He studied mathematics, mineralogy, botany and paleontology. In 1887 he received his doctorate on Mayan languages in Leipzig . In 1892 he became assistant director at the Museum für Völkerkunde in Berlin. In 1894 he completed his habilitation in Berlin on Mexican illuminated manuscripts. Between 1887 and 1910 he made six trips to Mexico and created an extensive archaeological and botanical collection. In 1899 he received a professorship for American languages, ethnology and archeology at the University of Berlin . In 1903 he took over the management of the America Department at the Museum of Ethnology. From 1910 to 1911 he held the position of director of the International Archaeological Institute in Mexico.

In his scientific work Seler dealt mainly with ancient Indian scripts, religions and myths. Seler is considered to be the founder of German ancient Mexican and American studies.

Caecilie Seler-Sachs and Eduard Georg Seler
Honorary grave, Bergstrasse 38, in Berlin-Steglitz

In 1908 Seler was accepted as a full member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences . In 1913 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences . In 1919 he became an honorary member of the Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory .

He was buried in the Steglitz cemetery in Berlin-Steglitz . The grave was one of the honor graves of the State of Berlin from 1992 to 2014 . On July 20, 1960, the then Humboldtstrasse and Moltkestrasse in Steglitz were named Selerweg .

Part of Eduard Seler's estate is in the Ibero-American Institute of Prussian Cultural Heritage in Berlin .

Seler was married to Caecilie Seler-Sachs (1855-1935), who supported him significantly in his travels and research. After his death she administered the estate, published publications from it and gave lectures on the history of America.

Publications (selection)

  • The ancient settlements of Chaculá in the Nenton district of the Huehuetenango department of the Republic of Guatemala
  • The character of the Aztec and Mayan manuscripts
  • Some chapters from the history of Fray Bernardino de Sahagun
  • Collected treatises on ancient American linguistics and antiquity
  • The conjugation system of the Mayan language
  • The Mexican illuminated manuscripts of Alexander von Humboldt in the Royal Library in Berlin
  • Central American musical instruments
  • The monuments of Copan and Quiriguá and the altar panels of Palenque
  • The Quetzalcouatl facades of Yucatec buildings
  • The Quirimba and their neighbors
  • The ruins of Uxmal
  • The stucco facade of Acanceh in the Yucatan
  • Wall paintings by Mitla : a Mexican illuminated manuscript in fresco
  • Where was Aztlan , the home of the Aztecs?
  • The Teotiuacan culture of the highlands of Mexico

Movie

literature

Web links

Commons : Eduard Seler  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Members of the previous academies. Eduard Seler. Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences , accessed on June 15, 2015 .
  2. ↑ Eduard Seler and Cäcilie Seler-Sachs - Pioneers of Ancient American Studies ( Memento from June 10, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 5 kB)
  3. ^ Spanish literature references
personal data
SURNAME Seler, Eduard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Seler, Eduard Georg
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German old American and old Mexicanist
DATE OF BIRTH December 5, 1849
PLACE OF BIRTH Crosses
DATE OF DEATH November 23, 1922
Place of death Berlin