Leonhard Schultze Jena was a German geographer, zoologist and specialist in ancient American studies. At the beginning of the 20th century, he embarked on numerous trips to African countries that were then part of the German empire to conduct zoological and anthropological studies. Schultze Jena held a chair in geography at Kiel University until 1913. From 1913 to 1937 he was professor of geography at Marburg University. In the 1930s Schultze Jena’s focus turned to Central America. His works examine ethnology and ethnolinguistics, specializing in the study of languages in Mexico and Guatemala and translations of Aztec and Mayan works (e.g. the Popol Vuh narratives), as well as research on the work of Bernardino de Sahagún.

Material:

• 2 manuscripts, 12 card file boxes, 1 film, 8 folders
• preparatory materials, notes and manuscripts (publications from series by the IAI: “Altaztekische Gesänge. Quellenwerke”, 1957; “Wahrsagerei, Himmelskunde und Kalender der alten Azteken”, 1950; “Popol Vuh: das heilige Buch der Quiché-Indianer von Guatemala”, 1944)
• reviews of a publication by Walter Lehmann (“Die Geschichte der Königreiche von Colhuacan...”, handwritten in German; typed in Spanish with handwritten notes)

Keywords: Guatemala, Mexico, ethnology, ethnolinguistics, ethnohistory