German Archaeological Institute Cairo

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Logo of the German Archaeological Institute

The German Archaeological Institute in Cairo was founded in 1907 as the Imperial German Institute for Egyptian Antiquity . Since 1929 the institute has belonged as a department to the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) , which as a federal agency with its headquarters in Berlin belongs to the division of the Federal Foreign Office .

In cooperation with the Egyptian Antiquities Service and other international partners, the department researches all epochs of Egypt from prehistory to modern times . Research focuses on the history of settlements and landscapes, the design and function of ritual spaces, living environments and competence, the relationship between continuity, transformation and innovation as well as the reception of Egypt and its significance for the formation of identity in Egypt and Europe. The department regularly organizes specialist conferences and public lectures.

history

Carl Richard Lepsius (1874), the German pioneer of Egyptology
Institute building of the DAI Cairo

German research activities in the field of ancient Egyptian studies began with the Royal Prussian Expedition to Egypt and Ethiopia . It was carried out under the direction of Richard Lepsius from 1842 to 1845. The results were published in 1849 and 1859 in twelve volumes of a table, which, unlike the French Description de l'Égypte , also published numerous text sources. In 1897 the Prussian Academy of Sciences launched a project to create the first dictionary of the Egyptian language. At the same time, the newly created subject Egyptology tried to find a research center in Egypt, as Germany already had with the Imperial German Archaeological Institute in Rome . The scientific achievements of the dictionary project under Adolf Erman finally gave this wish the necessary emphasis. At Erman's suggestion, Ludwig Borchardt was sent to Cairo as a scientific attaché at the Consulate General in 1899 . In 1907 Erman was finally able to establish the Imperial German Institute for Egyptian Antiquity. In 1929 the Cairo Institute was incorporated into the Archaeological Institute of the German Empire , which until then had departments in Rome and Athens , and the Istanbul department was added in the same year . In 1939, when Egypt and Germany officially severed their political ties, the institute was closed and part of its property was confiscated, including the library. It was not until 1957 that the DAI was able to reopen its department in Cairo, which in 1958 moved to its current headquarters in Sharia Abu el-Feda, a villa built in the 1920s. In 1958 the German House in Theben was returned to the DAI and repaired on behalf of Hanns Stock with a foundation from the Munich couple Albert and Maria Burges. With the compensation for the confiscations, which the Egyptian government and the German embassy agreed on in 1960, the library could also be re-equipped. For the first time, the department also received a significant excavation budget. The institute was able to support Egypt in the documentation and relocation of numerous Nubian monuments ( Amada , Kalabsha ) that were acutely threatened by the water dammed up by the Aswan Dam . In addition, extensive research was started in Abu Mena , Thebes , Elephantine and Cairo . In the 1970s, projects were added in Abydos , Dahschur , Merimde and Sakkara and in the 1980s in Buto and Maadi . From this time on, the institute made a significant contribution to research into the early Egyptian period. In 2007 the DAI Cairo celebrated its 100th anniversary.

Directors of the Cairo Department

Directors, since 1968 1st directors
2. Directors

The library

The collection of the Egyptologist Ludwig Keimer (1892–1957), which was purchased in 1957 for 72,000 German marks or 6,000 Egyptian pounds, forms the basis of today's inventory . Today it comprises more than 30,000 titles in over 40,000 volumes; The focus of the collection is the cultural studies of Egypt. The library also has a rich collection of old travel literature . The entire inventory can be researched via the ZENON literature database free of charge and without prior registration. The library is open to scholars and students after prior registration. Today, the library is the second largest relevant specialist library in Egypt, plus a rich photo library .

The publications

The qualitatively adequate publication of scientific research results is a central task of the DAI Cairo. This is done in different formats.

Since 1930, the annual releases of the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department, have provided an international platform for contributions to the archeology and cultural history of Egypt. The topics cover a period from the predynastic to the Christian to the Islamic period. In addition to the focus on archeology and the publication of the latest excavation results from international companies, cultural and art-historical topics, current issues and research are also discussed. It also reports on the ongoing excavations by the Cairo department.

The monographic series are important specialist organs for the field of Egyptian antiquity. The special publications of the German Archaeological Institute Cairo Department were launched in 1975. So far, 28 volumes have been published, which deal with the most varied of topics of ancient Egyptian culture. In order to process the work of the DAI Cairo accordingly and to make it accessible to the public, the Archaeological Publications were founded in 1970, which put the focus on the publication of purely archaeological works from their own excavations; To date, 76 volumes have been published. The treatises of the German Archaeological Institute Cairo department are divided into an Egyptological, a Coptic and an Islamic sub-series, in which 31 monographs on the corresponding topics have been published since 1958.

The studies on the archeology and history of ancient Egypt are in cooperation with the 1990 Institute of Egyptology, University of Heidelberg published. Since then, 22 volumes have been published.

Projects and events

The DAI Cairo organizes a series of scientific lectures that are open to the interested public. The current dates are published on the institute's homepage. In addition, the institute is a platform for various international symposiums on topics of archeology and cultural history.

The department carries out numerous research projects on all epochs of Egyptian history, which are reported in detail on the institute's website.

Selection of research projects:

Entrance to the oracle site in Siwa Oasis

literature

  • Werner Kaiser : 75 years of the German Archaeological Institute in Cairo (1907–1982) (= DAIK special publications. Vol. 12). von Zabern, Mainz 1992, ISBN 3-8053-0618-0 .
  • Daniel Polz , Günter Dreyer (Ed.): Encounter with the past. 100 years in Egypt. German Archaeological Institute Cairo 1907–2007 . von Zabern, Mainz 2007, ISBN 978-3-8053-3793-9 .
  • Susanne Voss: The history of the Cairo department of the DAI in the field of tension between German political interests
    • Volume 1: 1881-1929 (= people - cultures - traditions. Volume 8, 1). Publishing house Marie Leidorf, Rahden / Westf. 2013, ISBN 978-3-86757-388-7 .
    • Volume 2: 1929-1966 (= people - cultures - traditions. Volume 8, 2). Publishing house Marie Leidorf, Rahden / Westf. 2017, ISBN 978-3-86757-396-2 .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ ZENON catalog of the Cairo department
  2. ^ Announcements from the German Archaeological Institute, Cairo Department ( Memento from December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  3. ↑ Special publications of the German Archaeological Institute Department Cairo ( Memento of December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Archaeological Publications ( Memento of December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ As of 2010
  6. ↑ Treatises of the German Archaeological Institute Department Cairo ( Memento from December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  7. ↑ Studies on the archeology and history of Ancient Egypt ( Memento from December 2, 2010 in the Internet Archive )

Coordinates: 30 ° 4 ′ 10.5 ″  N , 31 ° 13 ′ 7.8 ″  E