Hagenbeck's "Human Zoo"--Sudanese Tribe/Troupe

Much has been written about the ancient practice of exhibiting native people's with the animals and architecture native to their land. Initially, upon learning about the practice, I frowned upon it as it seemed "racist" and had an air of superiority. That was me wrongly basing an opinion of what I was looking at, instead of learning as much about it as I could, so as not to make a biased opinion. We have looked at the practice in the past on circusnospin, and I gained some valuable insight from folks particularly Marco Kristen. He suggested it was do different then a circus of today using act's from other countries. That made sense and made me want to learn more. After studying all the fact's, I look at it somewhat differently and am not sure "human zoo's" anything other then a effort to show a complete new, mysterious world to another world.

The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE": Human Zoo "ethnological expositions ...

The Circus "NO SPIN ZONE": 09/02/10

The Magic Cafe Forums - HUMAN ZOOS..

FYI The Magic Cafe Forums is a great site if you haven't seen it.

That is the wonderful thing about open intelligent debate/conversation, leaving the ax's at home coming with an open, wanting to learn the fact's mind.

Photo's, movies, videos, etc. etc. can give us an idea, or a taste of what something is/was but it will never be the same as actually seeing, smelling, and hearing it. There isn't any real proof that the native people's were captive's or forced or held against their will. Suggesting that due to their ignorance and naivety the various nationalities went along for the ride not knowing any better is a pretty lame argument. I think the fact is zoologist's and explorers like Hagenbeck and others were so amazed and in awe of the exotic, strange wonders of lands they were going into they felt the only way to teach and show others with the same impact, of seeing, smelling, and hearing was to bring as much of the complete world as they could to the various exhibitions, world's fairs and scientific endeavors all the rage in the "new" enlightened world. Yes Hagenbeck and others made money. Lot's and lot's of money. So what? I don't know for sure, but I don't think there were a lot of "non profit" bleeding heart let me embezzle your money while I lie to you to fit your agenda groups or organizations like PETA, TES and PAWS among hundreds of others, becoming a multi million dollar industry in it's own right, back in Hagenbecks day. The Hagenbecks of the day were only trying to operate, just like the handout non profits of today.

Was Hagenbeck German? Yes he was, but that didn't make him racist because Nazi evilness started in Germany. It's incredible, but even today folks still lump Germany and Nazi together in the same pile. Folks still today associate America with slavery, when in fact it was a few states which condoned the practice. The same small minded type people lump circus and animal training in the same pile when pushing their animal rights agenda, when it fact it was only a few and not the whole. Heinz and Lutz Heck, I suggest on the other have have a lot of "splaining" to do Lucy.