Seler, Eduard (1849-1922)
Eduard Seler is considered the founder of pre-colonial Mexican and Amerindian studies in Germany. He traveled to Mexico six times between 1887 and 1910 and assembled a botanical collection and several large archaeological collections. His work focused on pre-Columbian codices, early colonial manuscripts and the mythology, cosmology and religion of ancient Mesoamerica. Each of the 235 boxes in this partial collection of his papers contains 800 to 1,000 cards with words from thirty-eight indigenous languages (primarily Nahuatl). The collection also includes numerous photographs, illustrations, newspaper clippings, drawings, sketches, copies of codices and large-size rubbings. The materials are stored in 229 regionally and thematically sorted boxes. Eduard Seler's work is closely linked to that of his wife, Caecilie Seler-Sache, and a few of her writings can also be found in the collection.