Carl Schuchhardt
Encyclopedia
Carl Schuchhardt was a German
archaeologist and museum director.
Schuchhardt studied classical philology, modern languages, and archaeology in Leipzig
, Göttingen
and Heidelberg
. After 1882 he worked as a teacher, but was recommended for a travel scholarship by the archaeologist Theodore Mommsen, with whom he travelled from 1886-87 in Greece and Asia Minor, participating in the excavations of Pergamon
.
In 1888 Schuchhardt was appointed as director of the Kestner-Museum
in his hometown of Hanover
. From this position, he pursued a variety of archaeological researches. In 1908 Schuchhardt was appointed as director of the archaeology department of the Ethnology Museum in Berlin. He held this post until his retirement in 1925, making a number of highly systematic digs of prehistorical sites around Potsdam.
In 1909 Schuchhardt founded the Journal of Prehistory (Prähistorische Zeitschrift)
In the following years, he was involved in a lengthy controversy with the Berlin-based archaeologist Gustaf Kossinna
on the issue of the "ethnic interpretation" of archaeological finds. One of the disputes was over the interpretation of the 1913 discovery known as the Eberswalde Hoard
. Schuchhardt eventually prevailed and this success later earned him the recognition as the official prehistorian of the Nazi Party, rather than Kossinna.
Schuchhardt belonged to the Prussian Academy of Sciences
and the German Archaeological Institute. His son was the archaeologist Walter Herwig Schuchhardt
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
archaeologist and museum director.
Schuchhardt studied classical philology, modern languages, and archaeology in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
and Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. After 1882 he worked as a teacher, but was recommended for a travel scholarship by the archaeologist Theodore Mommsen, with whom he travelled from 1886-87 in Greece and Asia Minor, participating in the excavations of Pergamon
Pergamon
Pergamon , or Pergamum, was an ancient Greek city in modern-day Turkey, in Mysia, today located from the Aegean Sea on a promontory on the north side of the river Caicus , that became the capital of the Kingdom of Pergamon during the Hellenistic period, under the Attalid dynasty, 281–133 BC...
.
In 1888 Schuchhardt was appointed as director of the Kestner-Museum
Kestner-Museum
Kestner-Museum is a museum in Hanover, Germany, founded in 1889. It was renamed "Museum August Kestner" in December 2007 to avoid confusion with the "Kestnergesellschaft", a local art gallery.-External links:*...
in his hometown of Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
. From this position, he pursued a variety of archaeological researches. In 1908 Schuchhardt was appointed as director of the archaeology department of the Ethnology Museum in Berlin. He held this post until his retirement in 1925, making a number of highly systematic digs of prehistorical sites around Potsdam.
In 1909 Schuchhardt founded the Journal of Prehistory (Prähistorische Zeitschrift)
In the following years, he was involved in a lengthy controversy with the Berlin-based archaeologist Gustaf Kossinna
Gustaf Kossinna
Gustaf Kossinna was a linguist and professor of German archaeology at the University of Berlin...
on the issue of the "ethnic interpretation" of archaeological finds. One of the disputes was over the interpretation of the 1913 discovery known as the Eberswalde Hoard
Eberswalde Hoard
The Eberswalde Hoard or Treasure of Eberswalde is a Bronze Age hoard of 81 gold objects with a total weight of . The largest prehistoric assembly of gold objects ever found in Germany, it is considered to be one of the most important finds from the Central European Bronze Age. Today, it forms...
. Schuchhardt eventually prevailed and this success later earned him the recognition as the official prehistorian of the Nazi Party, rather than Kossinna.
Schuchhardt belonged to the Prussian Academy of Sciences
Prussian Academy of Sciences
The Prussian Academy of Sciences was an academy established in Berlin on 11 July 1700, four years after the Akademie der Künste or "Arts Academy", to which "Berlin Academy" may also refer.-Origins:...
and the German Archaeological Institute. His son was the archaeologist Walter Herwig Schuchhardt
Walter Herwig Schuchhardt
Walter Herwig Schuchhardt was a German classical archaeologist and art historian who was born in Hanover. He specialized in ancient Greek art, particularly sculpture and art from the "Parthenon era" ....
.
Literature
- Carl Schuchhardt
- Heinz Grünert: Von Pergamon bis Garz. Carl Schuchhardt, Begründer der prähistorischen Burgenarchäologie in Mitteleuropa. In: Altertum 33.1987, 2, S.104–113