The Academic Legacy of Berthold Laufer
From The Observatory
Dates
June 18–20, 2026
Location
Field Museum, Chicago, IL
Pricing
In-person (Participants)
—
Free
Area
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Berthold Laufer (1874–1934) was a pioneer in the development of Asian anthropology and ethnology. Born and educated in Germany, Laufer’s extraordinary aptitude in a multitude of Asian languages facilitated his first two ambitious expeditions—to the Northern Pacific (1898–99) and to China (1901–04), both for the American Museum of Natural History in New York. His brief but notable career at the AMNH and Columbia University preceded an enduring commitment to the Field Museum in Chicago, where he served as its first Curator of Asian Anthropology. Laufer’s solo research and purchasing expeditions to northwestern China and its Tibetan border (1908–10) as well as to China’s major cities (1923) endowed the Museum with a diverse collection spanning more than 5,000 years.
Laufer’s research focused largely on the social life, craftsmanship, archaeology, and history of China and Tibet. While installing gallery exhibitions for the museums in New York and Chicago, he wrote landmark texts on Chinese jade, ceramics, drama, historical linguistics, popular religions, folklore, and Chinese-Eurasian cultural exchange. He also served prominently on national and international academic committees. Although his presumed suicide following severe illness prematurely curtailed his trailblazing career, Laufer’s work continues to inspire contemporary students and scholars.Key Speaker: Nick Pearce
