Some materials from this collection are available online.
Navigate the Collection
Summary
- Abstract:
- The Paul Leser Papers document not only the life and career of anthropologist Paul Leser, but also contain materials pertaining to Leser's sister, Maria Lingemann and her husband Heinrich Lingemann, and earlier members of the Leser family. Although the collection contains correspondence between Paul and his brother, Albert (Leser) Lestoque, a separate collection, the Albert (Leser) Lestoque Papers, held at the University at Albany's Department of Special Collections & Archives documents the life and career of Paul Leser's brother as well as providing additional Leser family documents and material.
- Extent:
- 95 cubic ft.
- Language:
- English , German .
- Preferred citation:
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Paul Leser Papers 1850-1984. M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Leser Papers).
Background
- Scope and Content:
The Paul Leser Papers consist of 95 cu. ft. of materials, 1850-1984. The collection, rich in family history, documents, and correspondence, documents not only the life and career of anthropologist Paul Leser, but also contains materials pertaining to Leser's sister, Maria Lingemann and her husband Heinrich Lingemann, and earlier members of the Leser family. Although the collection contains correspondence between Paul and his brother, Albert (Leser) Lestoque, a separate collection, the Albert (Leser) Lestoque Papers, held at the University at Albany's Department of Special Collections & Archives documents the life and career of Paul Leser's brother as well as providing additional Leser family documents and material.
In addition to numerous family materials and related correspondence, the collection also contains: Leser's vast correspondence with fellow anthropologists and ethnologists, colleagues, students, and life-long friends; a sizable reprint collection; manuscripts, typescripts and published versions of Leser's own writings; course notes, materials and student files.
Two series in the collection of special interest to researchers are the materials pertaining to the ethnologist and mentor of Paul Leser, Fritz Graeber, and the collection of materials pertaining to Julius Lips (see Series 8 and 9 description).
The collection is divided into twenty-one series: 1) Biographical materials, documents, 1882-1984; 2) Diaries, notebooks, account books, address books, 1914-1983; 3) Family and legal correspondence, 1850-1984; 4) Maria (Mira) and Heinrich (Heinz) Lingemann Collection, 1913-1964; 5) General Correspondence, 1913-1984; 6) Correspondence with institutions, associations, publishers, etc., 1920-1984; 7) Writings of Paul Leser, 1914-1979; 8) Fritz Graebner Collection, 1909-1980; 9) Julius Lips Collection, 1926-1940; 10) Jugendbewegung Collection, 1913-1984; 11) Course (teaching) materials, ca. 1926-1974; 12) Notes on various topics, notebooks, 1915-1974; 13) Photographs, negatives, slides, ca. 1900-1980; 14) Manuscripts, reprints and publications by other authors; 15) Pamphlets; 16) Hartford Seminary Foundation materials, 1950-1984; 17) Student records/papers, ca. 1948-1976; 18) Clippings on individuals; 19) Materials on various subjects; 20) Miscellaneous memorabilia; and 21) Periodicals.
- Biographical / Historical:
Paul Leser was born on February 23, 1899 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, the youngest of Wilhelm and Helene (Rikoff) Leser's three children. He attended schools in Frankfurt and was graduated from the Goethe Gymnasium in 1917 with his Abitur. That year, Leser was inducted into the German Army and served in World War I; he later became ill and recuperated in the Army Hospital. During his hospitalization, he began taking classes at the University of Bonn. In 1919, he became a member of the Nerother-Bund, a part of the German youth movement which was founded by the brothers Karl and Robert Oelbermann. Also in that year, he returned to the University of Bonn to study under his mentor Fritz Graebner, one of the principal exponents of the cultural-historical approach to ethnology. He graduated from the University of Bonn with his Ph.D. in 1925.
Leser held positions at the Frankfurter Bund für Volksbildung and at the Ethnological Museum in Frankfurt before becoming a Privatdozent for Ethnology at the Darmstadt Institute of Technology. During this time period he became involved in the case against Dr. Julius Lips of the Raustenstrauch-Joest Museum, who was accused by Leser and others of plagiarizing from the works of Graebner, Schmidt, and Koppers. The case dragged on until 1933, when many of the participants were removed from their positions by the Nazis. Though the case took up much of his time in the early 1930's, his main interest was his own work on the history of the plow. In 1931, his most renowned work Entstehunq und Verbreitung des Pfluges was published (it was eventually reprinted in Denmark in 1971).
In 1936, because of the increasingly hostile political climate in Germany, Leser was forced to immigrate to Sweden. He took a position as translator for Folk-Liv in Stockholm. In 1941, he immigrated to the United States. Leser served in the United States Army in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy from 1942-1945. After the war, and a brief stint as a civilian employee at the U.S. War Department, Leser returned to the world of academia. Beginning in 1947, he held positions as Professor of Anthropology at Olivet College in Michigan, Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and The Hartford Seminary Foundation in Connecticut. In 1967, he retired from his teaching position at the Hartford Seminary and became an Emeritus member of the faculty. At the time of his death in December of 1984, Leser was a Research Professor of Anthropology at the University of Hartford. Leser died in Hartford at the age of 85 and was buried in the family plot in a cemetery in Frankfurt am Main.
Chronology of Events Date Event 1899February 23, born in Frankfurt am Main, Germany to Wilhelm and Helene (Rikoff) Leser.1908-1917Attended Goethe Gymnasium in Frankfurt1917-1919Served in the German Army1917-1918Attended the University of Bonn while in Army Hospital1919-1924Attended the University of Frankfurt and the University of Bonn1919-1936Member of the Nerother Wandervogel1925Graduated with Ph.D. from University of Bonn1924-1933Lecturer in Ethnology, Frankfurter Bund für Volksbildung1928-1933Junior Assistant Curator, Ethnological Museum, Frankfurt am Main1929-1933Privatdozent for Ethnology, Darmstadt Institute of Technology1931Publication of major work Entstehung und Verbreitung des Pfluges1936Immigrated to Sweden1937-1941Translator for Folk-Liv, Stockholm, Sweden1941Immigrated to the United States1942-1945Served in U.S. Army in N. Africa, Sicily, and Italy1945-1947Civilian employee, U.S. War Dept.1947-1949Professor of Anthropology, Olivet College, Olivet, Michigan1949-1951Professor of Anthropology, Black Mountain College, Black Mountain, North Carolina.1951-1952Assistant Professor of Anthropology, The Hartford Seminary Foundation, Hartford, CT1952-1967Professor of Anthropology, The Hartford Seminary Foundation1957Visiting Professor of Anthropology, New School for Social Research, New York, NY1958Summer, Visiting Professor of Ethnology, University of Cologne, Germany1966-1967Visiting Professor (Fulbright scholar) University of Vienna, Austria 1967 Emeritus, Hartford Seminary Foundation1967Emeritus, Hartford Seminary Foundation1968-1984President of the Permanent International Committee for Research on the History of Agricultural Implements1976-1984Research Professor of Anthropology, University of Hartford1984December 21, died in Hartford, CT.- Acquisition information:
- All items in this manuscript group were transferred to the University Libraries, M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives by Walter Leser, nephew of Paul Leser, in 1985.
- Processing information:
Processed in 2008 by Sandra Hunt Hawrylchak (March 12, 2008). Leser Biographical Statement, Chronology, and Series 8 and 9 Arrangement and Description by Susan M. Edwards (July 14, 1993).
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized as follows:
- Series 1 - Biographical materials, documents, 1882-1984
- Series 2 - Diaries, notebooks, account books, address books, 1914-1983
- Series 3 - Family and legal correspondence, 1850-1984, 1945-1984
- Series 4 - Maria (Mira) and Heinrich (Heinz) Lingemann Collection, 1913-1964
- Series 5 - General Correspondence, 1913-1984
- Series 6 - Correspondence with institutions, associations, publishers, etc., 1920-1984
- Series 7 - Writings of Paul Leser, 1914-1979
- Series 8 - Fritz Graebner Collection, 1909-1980
- Series 9 - Julius Lips Collection, 1926-1940
- Series 10 - Jugendbewegung Collection, 1913-1984
- Series 11 - Course (teaching) materials, ca. 1926-1974
- Series 12 - Notes on various topics, notebooks, 1915-1974
- Series 13 - Photographs, negatives, slides, ca. 1900-1980
- Series 14 - Manuscripts, reprints and publications by other authors
- Series 15 - Pamphlets
- Series 16 - Hartford Seminary Foundation materials, 1950-1984
- Series 17 - Student records/papers, ca. 1948-1976
- Series 18 - Clippings on individuals
- Series 19 - Materials on various subjects
- Series 20 - Miscellaneous memorabilia
- Series 21 - Periodicals, 1911-1981
- Physical location:
- The materials are located onsite in the department.
Subjects
- Subjects:
- Agriculture
Anthropology
Anthropologists--Germany
Anthropologists--United States
Anthropologists--Sweden
Ethnologists--Sweden
Ethnologists--Germany
Ethnologists--United States
Ethnology--Methodology
Germans--Sweden
Germans--Denmark
Germans--United States
Youth--Germany--Societies and clubs
Correspondence
Diaries
Notebooks
Interviews
Photographs - Names:
- New School for Social Research (New York, N.Y. : 1919-1997)
Nerother Wandervogel (Society : Germany)
Hartford Theological Seminary
Black Mountain College (Black Mountain, N.C.)
Frankfurter Bund für Volksbildung
Museum für Völkerkunde Frankfurt am Main
Leser, Paul, 1899-
Herskovits, Melville J. (Melville Jean), 1895-1963
Lestoque, Albert
Leser, Albert
Johanson, Donald C.
Lips, Julius, 1895-1950
Staudinger, Hans, 1889-1980
Schaber, Will
Graebner, Fritz, 1877-1934
Goodman, Paul - Places:
- Frankfurt am Main (Germany)--Societies and clubs
Contents
Access
Using These Materials
- ACCESS:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- RESTRICTIONS:
-
Access to this record group is unrestricted.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
-
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Paul Leser Papers 1850-1984. M. E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Leser Papers).