Society for the Promotion of Archeology in East Westphalia
| Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen eV (GeFAO) | |
|---|---|
| purpose | Promotion of archeology in East Westphalia |
| Chair: | Johann-Sebastian Kühlborn Michael cell (2nd chairman) |
| Establishment date: | 1996 |
| Seat : | Bielefeld |
| Website: | www.gefao.de |
The Society for the Promotion of Archeology in East Westphalia eV (GeFAO) was founded on September 10, 1996 in the East Westphalian town of Porta Westfalica in North Rhine-Westphalia . It is a registered association based in Bielefeld . The association currently (2017) has 115 members. He is editor of the journal Archeology in Ostwestfalen .
History of the company
Initially the company was based in Porta Westfalica. The first two chairmen were the publisher Bert Wiegel (1996–1997) and the archivist Dieter Meyer (1997–1999). In 1998 the headquarters of GeFAO was relocated to the Bielefeld branch of the LWL Archeology for Westphalia . Klaus Günther (1999–2006), the former head of the Bielefeld branch (1972–1995), headed the company as first chairman for seven years . Mainly under his chairmanship, the GeFAO took over the sponsorship of job creation measures (1997–2003). During Günther's tenure, the decision was made to build a glass protective structure, erected over the foundations of the Kreuzkirche on Wittekindsberg .
After Günther's death Otto-Werner Rappold took over the management of GeFAO in May 2007. The term of office of Otto-Werner Rappold - once alderman of the city of Bielefeld and chief city director of Siegen - shaped the negative consequences of the general discontinuation of job creation measures, the lack of sponsorship money and the concern about the financial consequences of the protective structure. Together with the scientific advisory board, he prepared the transformation of the GeFAO into a newly founded “Association for the Promotion of Ground Monuments on the Wittekindsberg eV” and explored a free transfer of the Kreuzkirchen protective structure to the Westphalia-Lippe Regional Association . During his tenure, the last construction phase of the protective structure was completed.
After Rappold's unexpected death at the end of 2010, Johann-Sebastian Kühlborn was elected to the office in February 2011 . At the 2011 general assembly, he had the already decided conversion into an "Association for the Promotion of Ground Monuments on the Wittekindsberg eV" withdrawn, improved the GeFAO's financial situation in the medium term and resumed the series "Archeology in East Westphalia".
Task of society
The purpose of the association is to support the work of archeology in Ostwestfalen-Lippe. This archaeological society was originally founded on the initiative of the Bielefeld branch of the LWL Archeology for Westphalia. On the one hand, the aim was to awaken public and private interest in the rescue and maintenance of the archaeological cultural monuments and, on the other hand, to develop new funds for archaeological work in OWL. This included the collection of donations for statutory purposes in the area of monument protection and monument preservation and also applying for measures to create employment (ABM) at the Federal Employment Agency . In addition, the GeFAO u. a. We also offer lectures, guided tours, archaeological hikes, visits to exhibitions and, in cooperation with the Detmold and Herford music academies, annual concert series in the Margaret Chapel on the Wittekindsberg.
Realized projects
During an excavation inside the Wittekindsburg in 1996, the foundations of the Kreuzkirche in Minden-Häverstädt were discovered. This sacred building was built in the shape of a Greek cross. Actually, the excavation area and the foundations should be filled in again. Nevertheless, the GeFAO campaigned for the visible preservation of the church ruins and collected donations for the purchase of land and the construction of a protective building with all-round glazing. The first construction phase was inaugurated in September 2003, and the glass protective structure was not fully completed until six years later. For this purpose, between 2000 and the end of 2005, donations amounting to 199,200 € were obtained from private donors and the regional economy. In addition, there was funding from the North Rhine-Westphalia Foundation for Nature Conservation, Heritage and Cultural Preservation in the amount of € 70,000 for the second construction phase. The employment company Transfer provided other services. Since then, GeFAO has been looking after this building in every respect. She is the sole owner of the property and the protective structure.
In order to support the official preservation of soil monuments, the GeFAO took over the sponsorship of many job creation measures and managed ABM funds in the amount of 1.43 million €. With this, the Bielefeld branch of the LWL archeology for Westphalia carried out a number of additional excavations between 1997 and 2003 that it could not have financed with its normal budget. Even a dedicated research and documentation center was set up in Minden in 2001 to process these excavations.
The list of excavations supported by the GeFAO is long: Bielefeld ( Jostbergkloster ), Enger (settlement of the Roman Empire), Herford (Alter Markt, Münsterkirche ), Hüllhorst-Büttendorf (settlement of the pre-Roman Iron Age and Roman Empire), Kirchlengern (settlement of the Roman Kaiserzeit), Minden-Häverstädt (Wittekindsburg, area around the Kreuzkirche), Minden-Päpinghausen (settlement of the pre-Roman Iron Age and cremation cemetery of the Bronze and Pre-Roman Iron Age), Paderborn (Balhorner Feld), Petershagen-Bierde (settlement of the Roman Empire), Petershagen -Ilse ( women's graves from Ilse ), Petershagen-Lahde ( cremation cemetery and settlement of the pre-Roman iron age / Roman imperial era), Petershagen-Windheim (cremation grave cemetery of the pre-Roman iron age / late Roman imperial era), Petershagen-Raderhorst (traces of settlement of the Roman imperial era), Porta Westfalica Barkhausen (settlement of the pre-Roman Iron Age) and Spenge ( outer bailey of the Werbur house g ). In addition, there were other smaller funding measures in the country. In addition, exhibitions on excavations were supported, and scientific processing, surveying work and conferences were financed.
Publication series
From the beginning, the publication of the journal Archeology in East Westphalia played a major role. The first issue appeared in the year it was founded. A new issue was then published annually until 2003. With the end of the ABM excavations, the annual publication rhythm came to a standstill. As a result of the intended conversion of the GeFAO into an "Association for the Promotion of Ground Monuments on the Wittekindsberg eV", the publication of the magazine was officially stopped in 2010, actually forever. Nevertheless, it was possible to revive the well-established magazine. Volume 12 was published at the beginning of 2015 with a new profile and appearance and the next volume in December 2017. The archeology in East Westphalia is published every two years for financial reasons.
literature
- Johann-Sebastian Kühlborn: Past and Present. A look back at the first two decades of the GeFAO. In: Archeology in Ostwestfalen 13, 2017, 7–15, ISBN 978-3-95741-075-7 . [1]
- Johann-Sebastian Kühlborn: Society for the Promotion of Archeology in Ostwestfalen e. V. - a look back at 20 years. In: Archeology in Westphalia-Lippe 2016 (2017) 280 - 283, ISBN 978-3-95741-074-0 .