Ulrich Schmidel / Der erste Geschichtschreiber der La Plata-Länder (1535-1555)

The volume assembles and interprets Ulrich Schmidel’s eyewitness accounts of early exploration of the La Plata region, offering a concise biography of the chronicler alongside edited selections of his reports. It contextualizes voyages of discovery, provides geographical descriptions and portrayals of indigenous communities, and recounts episodes of conflict and navigation. The editor supplements primary material with explanatory commentary and narrative framing to make these early observations accessible, emphasizing practical details of travel, encounters between Europeans and native groups, and the documentary value of Schmidel’s testimony.