Twenty-first-century German and Austrian history textbooks are heavily influenced by popular historical myths about Hispanic America. Some of these myths, such as the supposition that Columbus was involved in the discrediting of the putatively medieval notion that the earth was flat, are relatively new, not having taken root in textbooks until during the course of the twentieth century. Further, the Eurocentric perspective from which these textbooks approach the history of Hispanic America largely negates or fails to take into account the significance of indigenous peoples to the development of societies in the region.
What are the reasons for the emergence of the various myths about Hispanic America, and why do they continue to be included as unquestioned fact in German and Austrian textbooks to this day, despite their refutation by historians? This book seeks to provide answers to these and other questions.