Title: Alexander von Humboldt – a true global citizen?
Course: Humboldt-Leuphana-Copy > Section: 4. A true global citizen?

Let us now return to the question of what makes a global citizen. Maybe we could rephrase the question and ask instead: Was Alexander von Humboldt a global citizen and what does his life and legacy teach us about being a global citizen? Discuss the following tasks in person or online in your course forum.

1a. Humboldt, a global citizen?

Go back to your initial definition and compare it to your findings on Humboldt's life and legacy. Do they match? Can you think of examples or findings about Humboldt that illustrate the different aspects of global citizenship?

1b. The Humboldt code

Take a look at the following quote by Rüdiger Schaper (Der Tagesspiegel) on what he calls the "Humboldt Code". What does he mean by that? What aspects could you add to this code based on your work on Humboldt?

Q 1: The Humboldt Code

Alexander von Humboldt didn’t bequeath any earth-shaking theories like Charles Darwin, who revered him. Rather, he provides intellectual tools, open-minded ways of thinking, holistic points of view, all of which have turned out to be amazingly useful in the early 21st century’s surge in globalisation: let’s call it the Humboldt Code.

_— Rüdiger Schaper, "The Humboldt Code", Kosmos 109/2018, p. 17.

2. Humboldt at 250 – projection surface and chameleon

The attention given to Humboldt on the occasion of his 250th birthday says just as much about us as about Humboldt himself. Read the following quote taken from an interview with science historian Nicolaas A. Rupke. What does he mean by the image of "many Humboldts"? Do you agree with him?

Q 2: Nicolaas A. Rupke, science historian, on Humboldt as a projection surface

Kosmos: Mr Rupke, almost 250 years after his birth, everyone is again talking about Alexander von Humboldt. What makes him so popular?

Ripke: I think it’s because he makes such a great projection surface. We try to see the person we would like to be in Humboldt. The picture we paint says just as much about us as it does about him. That’s why there isn’t just one Humboldt, but lots of them.

Kosmos: And who are they?

Ripke: That depends where in the world you are when you ask the question. In Germany, for instance, I think his major opus “Cosmos” and his holistic view of the world were and are important. The British tended to see him rather as a sort of Empire boy who set off to stake out territorial claims for Germany. In the UK today, people are more interested in him because of his connection with Darwin. Science historians there are currently arguing about the importance of Humboldt’s influence on Darwin and his theory of evolution.

_— Nicolaas A. Rupke, science historian, interview in Kosmos 109/2018, p. 20.

3. Remembering Humboldt

Take a look at these two magazine covers. The one by Der Spiegel was published in 2004 on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Humboldt's return from Latin America. The one by Humboldt Kosmos, the publication of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, was released in 2018 in anticipation of Humboldt's 250th birthday. How is Humboldt remembered in both magazines? Consider both the visual depiction as well as the text/titles.

Q 3a: Magazine cover of Der Spiegel, published in 2004.

Q 3b: Magazine cover of Humboldt Kosmos, published in 2018.