Between Science and Self-Presentation. The Zoological Institute of the University of Heidelberg at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis
Lea Bergold, Ricarda Roggenbuck, Michele Scichilone
“It is a pity that it is impossible for language to ever adequately describe feelings. And here at the World’s Fair—it was scarcely believable that any beholder could see these unforgettably beautiful scenes without the deepest emotion.” [1]
When the lawyer Edward Schneiderhahn walked through the World’s Fair in St. Louis in the fall of 1904, he was impressed by the majestic buildings, water fountains, and gardens constructed for the exhibition. What was an emotional highlight for Schneiderhahn provided a strategic stage for others – including the Zoological Institute of the University of Heidelberg.The occasion for the World’s Fair in St. Louis, officially called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, was the 100th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase – the historic 1803 treaty in which France sold a vast territory to the United States, laying the foundation for the country’s westward expansion. During the course of the exhibition, from April to December 1904, an estimated 20 million people flocked to St. Louis to visit the pavilions of the participating nations [2]. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, world’s fairs were regarded as showcases for technological innovations and cultural achievements, often with a competitive spirit. It has to be stated, however, that these “cultural achievements” were often expressions of a belief in cultural – frequently racially motivated – superiority. Thus, the 1904 St. Louis Exposition not only presented technological progress and economic power but also staged the United States – and particularly white, Anglo-Saxon America – as the pinnacle of civilization and progress, for example through the display of people in so-called human zoos [3]. A historical review of the St. Louis World’s Fair therefore reveals not only the technological advancements of the time but also the ideological values that existed alongside them.
The official catalogue of the World's Fair also confirms the participation of the Zoological Institute of the University of Heidelberg. Correspondence between the Baden Ministry of Justice, Culture, and Education and the university shows that the exhibition not only served to demonstrate scientific involvement but could also carry politically sensitive implications. The example of the ‘German House’ illustrates this point. Built largely according to the wishes of Emperor Wilhelm II, it was modelled on Charlottenburg Palace. The German Empire secured a building site in an elevated location at the top of the States Plateau [4]. This prime location was likely of great political significance to the German Empire.
On January 9, 1904, the inner senate of the University of Heidelberg formally requested a subsidy of 200 Marks to cover the university’s expenses to participate in the exposition. The ministry’s response came just nine days later, on January 18th the subsidy was approved. However, it came with a note stating that it would “leave a strange impression with the Chancellor of the Reich” if “individual institutional directors now decided on their own initiative to participate,” after having previously declined participation to the ministry – a decision which had also been communicated to the Chancellor [5]. The collection of documents also includes a note from the inner senate referring to the ministerial comment that a now-reversed decision to participate might make a confusing impression on the Reich Chancellor [6]. Unfortunately, no further documents about how the university administration proceeded are preserved in the records. Therefore, the reasons for the initial withdrawal and the actual motivation for the later participation cannot be reconstructed in detail.
Instead, we do know that the Zoological Institute of the University of Heidelberg participated in the St. Louis World’s Fair with embryonic specimens preserved in alcohol. It is worth noting that the academic field of zoology at the time of the German Empire was likely broader than it is today. Furthermore, the Heidelberg display distinguished itself from other zoological exhibitions through the arrangement of its specimens. While most exhibits followed the so-called “systematic principle,” Heidelberg and Tübingen organized their anatomical specimens according to their own concepts [7]. Altogether, this sheds light on the close intertwining of science, national representation, and institutional ambitions in the German Empire. What appears at first glance to be a purely academic contribution – a collection of anatomical specimens – on closer inspection turns out to be part of a sensitive political manoeuvring. The correspondence between the Baden Ministry and the university notes not only the documents financial aspects but also clearly shows that scientific institutions by no means acted autonomously. The warning that independent participation could “leave a strange impression” with the Reich Chancellor points to the expectation that academic institutions too were expected to align with the official foreign policy.
At the same time, academic institutions apparently pursued their own goals. On one hand, universities like Heidelberg used international platforms to expand scientific networks and international contacts, thereby promoting discourse and exchange among academic institutions. This created opportunities, for instance, to acquire new objects for collections or to expand existing ones. On the other hand, the presentation of their own research findings and the assertion of their own scientific perspectives also played a role [8]. Thus, the engagement with these collections provides insight into the entanglement of scientific ambition, politics, and representation in the early twentieth century. Sources from university collections are therefore not merely scientific resources, but – as our example shows – also reflect on historical self-positioning and the representation of academic institutions.
[1] Schneiderhahn, V. P.: Through the Eyes of a Fairgoer. The 1904 World's Fair Memoir of Edward V. P. Schneiderhahn, in: Gateway Heritage Magazine 13/1 (1992).
[2] Bureau International des Expositions. “Expo 1904 St. Louis.” BIE‑Paris, bie‑paris.org, Accessed 1 Aug. 2025, .
[3] Rosenberg, Emily S.: Transnationale Strömungen in einer Welt, die zusammenrückt, in: 1870-1945. Weltmärkte und Weltkriege, hrsg. v. Emily S. Rosenberg (Geschichte der Welt, Bd. 5) München 2012, S. 815-998, hier: S. 902.
[4] Fuchs, Eckhardt: Das Deutsche Reich auf den Weltausstellungen vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Comparativ 9/5-6 (1999), S. 61-89, hier: S. 83.
[5] Schreiben des Ministerium der Justiz, des Kultus und Unterrichts an den engeren Senat der Universität Heidelberg vom 18. Januar 1904, Universitätsarchiv Heidelberg (UAH), RA 6578.
[6] Dokument des engeren Senats der Universität Heidelberg vom 23. Januar 1904, UAH, RA 6578.
[7] Reichskommissar (Hg.): Weltausstellung in St. Louis 194. Amtlicher Katalog der Ausstellung des Deutschen Reiches, Berlin 1904, S. 132.
[8] Fuchs, Eckhardt: Wissenschaft, Kongreßbewegung und Weltausstellungen. Zu den Anfängen der Wissenschaftsinternationale vor dem Ersten Weltkrieg, in: Comparativ 9/5-6 (1996), S.156-177.
published 18.08.2025