The Diary of Abraham Ulrikab: Text and Context

Magdeburgische Zeitung

HajgdeburpchE 'Zcituns 'Che Eskimos in the 'Eoolojgical Gardens ofBerlin Chursday, October 21, 1880. Morning-edition (No. 493) As stated in the public announcements, the Cskimos from Labrador and Greenland began their "presentations" last Sunday. But, what are these curious, small and stunted human figures from the forbidding North presenting ? Well, undoubtedly the first thing they have to offer is that which intrigues us "middling sons of this earth" (daughters included, of course) the most —namely, themselves. And thus we have arrived at a point which, however, does not reside within the field of anthropology proper - which has received so much attention recently, and which, of course, means "knowledge about the human" in German - butwhich, seen from another angle, may well belong to this new field of knowledge after all. Of course, we will most meticulously avoid taking issue in any way with these gentlemen belonging to the anthropological type. Chey must make their observations and conduct their measurements undisturbed ; they must construct all thinkable and unthinkable lines and angles on the faces and skulls of Cskimo-individuals, and must assess in exact numbers the relationships among the former. Somewhere, in the filing cabinets of science, there must be a tiny compartment that has not yet been crammed quite full. One has to hurry up, therefore, to produce the necessary tabulations. But even for the filing cabinets of science there isa point in time when, as in the administration of the courts, the [22] THE DIARY OF ABRAHAM ULRIKAB destruction of accumulated files is ordered, to make room for the new, which, in turn, and after a predetermined length of time, will be met by the same fate. If it continues following within the same ruts, the scholarly filing cabinet, section "Anthropology ," will soon contain an alarming amount of stuff, everything is recorded; each tiny fragment of a shard, each little peg of wood, each splintered piece of rock is kept. Allof a sudden there is an "anthropological museum," and even a very "interesting " one. Coday, whenever something manages to establish itself as being "interesting," it has won the game. We are inclined to exclaim in the words of that profound Prince of Denmark: "Co be interesting —that is the question!" Chis is the condition we have to reckon with most seriously, because it is of such unconditional and unavoidable pertinence. Only, the word of Dr. Faust is valid even in this matter: "Behold this sign, to which they bow, those black hordes." And the whites no less! "it is interesting !" Against this fact there can be no logic, no objection, no questioning. It is interesting to be able to watch the stage-set life and the antics of these beings that have been brought from their home in the snowy drifts. Because, that's what it really is, and what it will remain forever. Just look at the little people a little more carefully, a little more in the proper sense of"anthropological ," and you will realize immediately that there is a melancholy expression especially on the faces of the Cskimo women. Chey know fully well that they are being exhibited, exposed to the curious, prying glances of old and young. Who knows what these childrenof the roughest North may be thinking about their highly educated Curopean fellow humans! Coo bad one has to be reminded of it! One could have almost forgotten it when faced with that "interesting" anthropological play-act. And it would have been pardonable enough, since, not far away, the Cast-Indian pachyderms, the thickskinned elephants, are romping about within their spacious and firmly built enclosure, where you THE DIARY OF ABRAHAM ULRIKAB [23] can observe them in their natural existential expression (behaviour). And here you may likewise observe those northwestern bearers of thick furs in their natural existential expression (behaviour), romping peacefully, as is their way, inside their huts that are only fenced off by a wooden wicket. And it is beyond telling how "interesting " they are! Because those Northerners walk around just as we do. However, in their sealskin clothes they may seem a little clumsy to us, and a bit like bears. But who knows how we may appear to them? Yet, it is after all very interesting to see how the Cskimo mother carries her little child on her back in her hood. Maybe that is why the hood is cut in such a large and ungainly fashion .Maybe, it...