%0 Journal Article %T Generalized Albanese morphisms %A Georg Hein %J Mathematics %D 2003 %I arXiv %X We define generalizations of the Albanese variety for a projective variety X. The generalized Albanese morphisms X --> Alb_r(X) contract those curves C in X for which the induced morphism Hom(\pi_1(X),U(r)) --> Hom(\pi_1(C),U(r)) has a finite image. Thus, they may be interpreted as a U(r)-version of the Shafarevich morphism. %U http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0304057v2