Exotische Schaustellungen im Wiener Vormärz. Zwischen Voyeurismus und früher Rassentheorie. (German)

Putting people of non-European descent commercially on public display was a standard practice throughout the 19th century. This study concentrates on a distinct period of Austrian history in the first half of this epoque – the Vormärz – and on the capital city, Vienna. In researching ten different human exhibitions, it turns out that typical elements of the later „Völkerschauen“ were nascent already in that early phase. Furthermore, an impact of censorship on presentations and representations of „exotic“ persons has to be considered. Thirdly it is argued that in commenting on these exhibitions, natural science played a big role in articulating cultural prejudices and shaping them systematically into pre-Darwin theories of race. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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