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After being dismembered more than a century ago and sent to Germany for racially motivated phrenological research, the remains of 19 African-Americans were repatriated to New Orleans for a proper send-off.
In the 1880s, Dr. Henry D. Schmidt, a physician in New Orleans, sent 19 skulls to Leipzig, Germany, for research.
The researchers believed that the shape of the skull could determine personality traits. In 2023, researchers at the University of Leipzig began organizing the return of the 19 skulls.
“It’s a demonstration of our own morality, here in New Orleans and in Leipzig, with professors who wanted to do something to restore the dignity of these people,” said historian Eva Baham.
Baham, who led a team of researchers, believes these 19 people died of natural causes. Jazz funerals were held in their honor in New Orleans.
