Prince Maximilian of Wied (2017)

The last witness of Native American civilization was a Prince from Prussia. A feat that not even Alexander von Humboldt had achieved was accomplished by the Prussian Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied: in 1815, he ventured on an expedition along the Eastern coast of Brasil. He was the first to describe one of the most biodiverse jungles of the world - his German-speaking readers were fascinated. His extensive collection of flora and fauna includes so many species that it has not been fully evaluated as yet, even today. His detailed report of his journey in Brasil leads to his recognition as a distinguished expert among natural scientists. In 1832, at the age of fifty, he does it again: An expedition into the interior regions of North America. He is accompanied by Swiss painter Karl Bodmer. Their encounters with Native American tribes are documented in Bodmer's paintings, which have shaped our understanding and idea of these indigenous peoples. Innumerable literary fantasies of the Wild West were modeled on Wied's descriptions, including those of Karl May. Even prior to the invention of the Wild West, Wied recorded Native American civilization as he experienced it through personal encounters - in lively, detailed descriptions with uniquely valuable illustrations.