Building and Searching for Sources on Hagenbeck

Guest Post by Maddi Brenner

This semester I explored new avenues of research that focused on a single individual narrative, as well as utilizing direct and indirect content that examined how such a character contributed to these larger historical contexts. I also continued to develop and practice my writing skills that addressed a public audience and really spoke to the research I found. These experiences encouraged critical thinking, practice and creativity—all of which were so fun and exciting to work through!

Most of my primary source research surrounded my character, Carl Hagenbeck. Unfortunately, most of Hagenbeck’s resources are held in Germany (his home) and at his famous zoo: Tierpark Hagenbeck. Therefore, most of the material I gathered was through his memoir, which we have at UWM Libraries: Beasts and Men: Being Carl Hagenbeck’s Experiences for Half a Century among Wild Animals along with several digital photographs. I also utilized Nigel Rothfels’ Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo as a helpful narrative that provided me with additional sources.

Since Hagenbeck is famous across the world, there continue to be many avenues that build a strong examination of his work and life. It was extremely rewarding to piece together these ideas and concepts, but also, work them into my own writing and story. It encouraged me to find gaps in the literature and prioritize material that may not be best understood or analyzed. My favorite part about the research was transcribing and relaying Hagenbeck’s history. As he remains a pioneer in zoo design, business and practices, he is also a controversial figure that exploited various peoples and cultures for the sake of economic gain. He symbolizes how we can understand the true narrative of past individuals that were inherently wrong and also extremely successful in shaping what we know today. It allows me to process connection and recognize how we build a new documentation and representation of these figures. As the saying goes, history tends to repeat itself. My hope is that writing to the truth of Hagenbeck’s life, good and bad, we can acknowledge all of what occurred and move forward efficiently.

References

Hagenbeck, Carl. Beasts and Men, Being Carl Hagenbeck's Experiences for Half a Century among Wild Animals. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1912.

Rothfels, Nigel. Savages and Beasts: The Birth of the Modern Zoo. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2002.