The problem of the history and development of Karl Marx University at Leipzig (KMU) contains two fundamental questions:1) When did KMU begin? 2) Was there a continuity of traditions that influenced the development of KMU? The study examines the events contributing to the evolution of the university and explores the conflict of traditions and change. This study is a historical narrative of the development of KMU as a socialist university under the influence of Marxist-Leninist ideology based on a review of literature.

This volume contains essays on the history of African Studies at the University of Leipzig from the 1890s to the 1990s. With the exception of an overview chapter they were written by students of the Institut für Afrikanistik. The topics covered include plans for a 'colonial institute', African students in the period 1946-95, African linguistics in the GDR period, the journal 'asien, afrika, lateinamerika' and short studies of six scholars in this field.