Humboldt’s works on Mexico

Author: Ulrike Leitner

published in: HiN I, 1 (2000)

Contents:

1. Introduction
2. „Tablas geográfico-políticas del reyno de Nueva España“
3. Alexander von Humboldt’s Diaries
4. Voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent fait en 1799, 1800, 1802, 1802, 1803 et 1804, par Alexandre de Humboldt et Aimé Bonpland
5. Further Publications
6. „Essai politique sur le royaume de la Nouvelle Espagne“
7. New editions and translations of the Essai
8. Conclusions

Abstract:

Humboldt wrote about Mexico from the perspective of a scientific explorer and naturalist. His works include his diaries, the Essai politique sur le royaume de la Nouvelle-Espagne, the Tablas géograficas, the Vues des Cordillères and a geographic atlas. Concerning the scientific aspect, the lack of a section on Mexico in the Relation historique is not a real deficit, since this can be found in the Essai. But only the diaries and letters from the journey, both published by the Alexander-von-Humboldt Research Centre, Berlin, can be considered an adequate substitute.

The following article will show the origin of Humboldt’s writings on Mexico, offer historical and bibliographical facts and present the publications „Beiträge zur Alexander von Humboldt-Forschung“, as well as Humboldt’s handwritten estate as far as they are available to us.

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