Humanist, Wissenschaftler, Akteur?

Alexander von Humboldts Rolle im Jahrhundert der Massensklaverei

Abstract

In this paper, Humboldt and slavery, a widely known and well-researched topic in Humboldt studies, are reclassified biographically, based on the following thesis: In the decades following the beginning of his voyage through the American tropics (1799–1804), Humboldt went through various phases in his preoccupation with the topic of slavery. In the course of these phases, which by no means follow a chronological order but run partly parallel, Humboldt assumes different social roles that find expression in specific attitudes and actions. Taken together, they draw a psychogram typical for understanding Humboldt's personality: a self-confident moralist, a rigorous scientist, a politically reserved activist.