Robert Fritz Graebner was born on March 4, 1877 in Berlin, Germany. Fritz Graebner, as he is commonly known, was a German ethnologist. (Arts & Sciences, 2004). He worked at the Royal Museum of Ethnology in Berlin from 1899 to 1906. While working at the museum he discovered some interesting patterns concerning cultural traits. Through his further study and use of cartographic plotting, he discovered a chronological sequence of events for the spread of specific cultures and traits. In 1911, Graebner published a work entitled Methode der Ethnologie (“Method of Ethnology”). This became the basis of the culture-historical approach to ethnology. From 1925 to 1928, he was the director of the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne. (Britannica, 2004).
During part of World War I Graebner spent time in Australia. While he was there he did research studying differences in Hamito-Semitic, Mongolian, Indo-European, and Polynesian myths. He also tried to apply the principles of Kulturkreise to larger areas after studying various calendar systems. (Britannica, 2004).
Graebner used the theory of Kulturkreise or culture circles. The theory of Kulturkreise is a concept revolving around an entity developing from a central origin and then spreading over large portions of the world. Graebner was instrumental in developing this theory. (Britannica, 2004).
Graebner’s greatest effort on Kulturkreise can be seen in his work Das Weltbild der Primitiven (“The World View of the Primates”) published in 1924. In this work, he describes an advanced old world culture’s spread through most of the world. This was his last great work before he died in 1934 (Britannica, 2004).
References:
“Diffusionism and Acculturation” Anthropological Theories: A Guide Prepared by Students for Students (22 Oct. 2001) The University of Alabama online. http://www.as.ua.edu/ant/Faculty/murphy/diffusion.htm. 28 Feb. 2004
"Fritz Graebner." Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2004. Encyclopędia Britannica Premium Service. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9037592 . 28 Feb. 2004
Written by: Students in an Introduction to Anthropology Class, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota 2002