Abstract: This essay investigates the history of Turfan research during the German Empire. Two points stand on center stage: Firstly, archaeology can be considered as one type of imperialist power politics in a cultural sense. Conflicts on the spot arose between German, Russian, French, and British archaeologist, since explorers of each nation intended to occupy spaces of excavation. Secondly, the quest for the ‘Urheimat’, which was the leitmotif of these expeditions, was also a quest for the cultural identity of the nation. This essay argues that my...
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