Carl Georg von Sievers

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Carl Georg Graf von Sievers (born August 31, 1814 in Bauenhof , today: Bauņi , near Wolmar , Livonia ; † July 19, 1879 in Wenden ) was a Livonian landowner and archaeologist of German-Baltic origin.

life and work

Carl Georg von Sievers belonged to the noble Sievers family , which was widespread in the Baltic provinces . He was the son of Count Paul von Sievers (1773-1824) and the officer's daughter Catharina von Günzel (1792-1845). Carl Georg was born on August 31, 1814 at Gut Bauenhof in Livonia, owned by his family. Through his mother he was a great-grandson of the statesman Jacob Johann Sievers .

At the age of seven he left his parents' home in order to take up a scientific course in several private institutions, most recently in the Dorpat grammar school . In 1831, however, he decided to do military service, but left the army after a few years and took over the management of the family's own manors. When his mother died in 1845 he inherited the extensive manor Ostrominsky, today Košķele , Burtnieki district .

Twenty years later he sold his land and bought a villa near the town of Wenden. Agriculture had become too boring for the intelligent count. From now on he wanted to turn to intellectual work, especially in the field of natural sciences. The means for studying provided him with an important library that he had gathered over the years. He corresponded with many German and Livonian scientists and within a few years became a respected archaeologist.

Every summer he went on research trips for weeks. He often took an apartment in nearby farms and explored Livonia in all directions, even as far as the province of Estonia he penetrated with his investigations. Thousands of items he collected during excavations enrich the museums in Berlin , Riga and Tartu . A significant collection of valuable archaeological finds and the entire written estate are presented in a permanent special exhibition in the Museum of Local History and Art in Wenden / Cēsis.

The importance of Count Sievers for science lay in the extraordinary energy he developed while researching and collecting. For example, he dealt with pagan sacrificial mountains near Roop and Hochrosen , Norman graves in Ronneburg , pile dwellings in Lake Arrasch , excavations on Lake Burtneck .

Count Sievers belonged to various learned societies, for example he was a member of the Natural Scientists Society in Dorpat, Society for Literature and Art in Mitau, Society for History and Antiquity of the Baltic Sea Governments and the Berlin Society for Anthropology, Ethnology and Prehistory .

Works (selection)

  • Contributions to the geography of Heinrich v. Latvia . Mitau 1875.
  • Report on the archaeological research carried out on Strante-Lee in 1875 . Dorpat 1877.
  • Report on antiquarian research in 1876 . Dorpat 1881.

literature

personal data
SURNAME Sievers, Carl Georg von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sievers, Carl Georg Graf von (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Russian archaeologist
DATE OF BIRTH August 31, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Bauenhof , Livonia
DATE OF DEATH July 19, 1879
Place of death Turn