Ernst Schäfer was born 1910 in Cologne, Germany. He was a German hunter and zoologist of the 1930s. He participated in three expeditions to China and Tibet. The first two as part of Brooke Dolan’s expeditions sponsored by the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and the third as head and sponsored by the Ahnenerbe organization.

In 1930, while in college, he was approached by Brooke Dolan. Dolan went to Germany looking for scientists to recruit for his zoological expedition to Tibet. Schäfer participated in the first Dolan expedition from 1930-1932. The expedition covered Western China and Eastern Tibet. Schäfer then returned to his studies in Germany. Then in 1934 Schäfer was approached to lead Dolan’s second expedition to Tibet. When Schäfer died in 1992 his obituary stated he and Dolan “collected scientific data and specimens of the region’s birds and mammals that have never been equaled in size and importance. In recognition of his many scientific contributions Dr. Schäfer was elected life membership in the Academy in 1932.”

After the expedition he returned to Germany to complete his doctorate thesis. In 1937 Schäfer completed his thesis on bird life in Tibet. When he returned Heinrich Himmler asked Schäfer what he planned to do next. Schäfer was interested in leading another expedition to Tibet and Himmler agreed to provide funding through the Ahnenerbe. The Ahnenerbe was primarily concerned with pseudoscience and the occult such as runes, Atlantis, and the World Ice Theory. This was part of their attempt to participate in serious scientific research. Because of the Ahnenerbe there were many political difficulties throughout the planning stages. One stipulation of their sponsorship was that every member had to join the “SS.” Also because of the political difficulties Schäfer had to raise a lot of the funding by himself. In the end neither the Ahnenerbe nor Himmler sponsored the expedition but they did provide political support.

Later in life Schäfer wrote several books on Tibet including Berge, Buddhas und Bären (Mountains, Buddhas and Bears) and helped produce the film Geheimnis Tibet (Secret Tibet).

Sources: Engelhardt, Isrun, ed. Tibet in 1938-1939 Photographs from the Ernst Schäfer expedition to Tibet. Chicago: Serindia Publications, Inc., 2007.