In our text, we want to show, how the early German ethnologists and their companions used music, literature, and food to feel safe and home.
Leo Frobenius (1873–1938) is a well-known German ethnologist and until today famous for his extravagant expeditions to the African continent. When he and his colleagues departed for their journeys, they on the one hand satisfied their thirst for adventure, but on the other hand missed their homes and families. So the researchers—among them scientists as well as artists—took a part of their home with them in their suitcases.
While Frobenius and his colleagues took mementos of their home to Africa, they also brought memories of Africa to Europa—in form of photographs, drawings, recordings and material culture. These objects depict (con)temporary visions of a home far away from home.
Table of Contents
1. Home in a Suitcase
2. Finding a Home Away From Home
3. Music
4. Phonograph
5. Luxury Foods, Alcohol And Tobacco
6. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Topics
This essay explores how early 20th-century German ethnologists, specifically Leo Frobenius, maintained a connection to their home culture while conducting field expeditions in Africa. It investigates how material culture, such as expedition equipment, music, food, and communication technology, served to recreate a sense of "home" in a foreign environment, thereby reinforcing group identity and authority.
- The role of expedition luggage and equipment in simulating a domestic household.
- The function of music and the phonograph as tools for both recreation and cultural mediation.
- The symbolic and practical importance of European food and alcohol supplies.
- The impact of material culture on the relationship between researchers and local populations.
- The construction of identity through the consumption of "home" in a colonial context.
Excerpt from the Book
Luxury Foods, Alcohol And Tobacco
The European travelers not only enjoyed the performances, but also the eating and drinking within the community. The consumption of tobacco as well as culinary delights such as alcoholic beverages enabled Europeans and Africans to exchange ideas about their cultural traditions and served cultural understanding. However, alcohol played a central role in field research, as Johannes Fabian confirms: “Alle Expeditionen nach Zentralafrika führten in ihren Vorräten Alkoholika in unterschiedlicher Menge und Qualität mit.” We find references in the context of the “Sauftour” described by Fabian which led the participants of the Congo expedition to various villages where they consumed the regional palm wine together with the local chiefs. During such a feast, Frobenius was able to acquire numerous ethnographic objects. But not only local drinks were consumed; also European imports such as champagne, “malafu ya mputu, de[r] Palmwein der Europäer” were drunk.
Stocks of domestic alcohol were limited. During his excursion to Nigeria, Leo Frobenius often contacted the trading company Witt and Büsch in Lagos to request more alcohol, for example “eine Kiste mit Wisky” or “eine Kiste mit Essig und 8 Flaschen Alkohol (Pernot, Wisky etc.).” The functions that alcohol performed in the field can be limited to two main features: “to sweeten the day and for easing relations with local officials of the colonial administration.” However, alcohol was not only consumed as a reward and for relaxation, but also used as medicine and as barter good.
Summary of Chapters
Home in a Suitcase: Introduces Leo Frobenius and his methodological approach to field research, highlighting the logistical and financial scope of his African expeditions.
Finding a Home Away From Home: Discusses the necessity of expedition equipment and the intent of researchers to maintain aspects of their domestic lifestyle while traveling.
Music: Analyzes the use of musical instruments by researchers, both for personal practice and as a means of interaction with local people.
Phonograph: Examines the dual role of the phonograph as a scientific recording device and a prestige object used to bridge the distance between Africa and Europe.
Luxury Foods, Alcohol And Tobacco: Explores how the consumption and storage of European food and alcohol functioned as markers of identity and instruments of colonial authority.
Conclusion: Summarizes how these objects collectively helped travelers feel at home and maintain their European cultural identity in the field.
Keywords
Leo Frobenius, Field Expedition, Material Culture, Ethnology, Colonialism, D.I.A.F.E., Phonograph, Identity, Consumption, Expedition Equipment, Africa, Cultural Anthropology, Historical Research, Colonial Authority, Luxury Foods
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The study examines the material culture and daily practices of early 20th-century German ethnologists during their field expeditions in Africa, specifically focusing on how they replicated their home environment to sustain their cultural identity.
What are the central thematic areas discussed?
Key themes include the impact of imported goods, the significance of musical performance, the use of communication media like the phonograph, and the consumption patterns of luxury food and alcohol.
What is the main research question or objective?
The work aims to understand how Leo Frobenius and his team utilized items from their "luggage" to manage the stress of foreign environments and how these items functioned as symbols of European identity and authority.
Which scientific method is applied?
The paper employs a historical-analytical approach, utilizing archival documents, correspondence, and personal records of the Frobenius expeditions to reconstruct the researchers' experiences and material practices.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The text details specific categories of objects—such as camping equipment, musical instruments, the phonograph, and provisions like alcohol and tobacco—and explains their practical and symbolic functions during the research travels.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Leo Frobenius, material culture, ethnology, colonial history, identity construction, and expedition logistics.
How did the phonograph serve a purpose beyond scientific documentation?
Beyond its utility as a recording device, the phonograph served as a medium for communicating with family in Europe, a prestige item for theatrical performances, and a source of entertainment to sustain the researchers' spirits.
Why was the storage of food, such as the "tabernacle," significant?
The locking of precious goods like coffee and spices in a "tabernacle" ensured they were distributed in rations, preventing waste and reinforcing the symbolic independence and authority of the researchers over their local helpers.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Moritz Müller (Autor:in), Vanessa Vogel (Autor:in), 2020, Home in a Suitcase. How Early German Researchers Found a Temporary Home in Africa, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/997529
