Johannes Brøndsted

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Johannes Balthasar Brøndsted (born October 5, 1890 in Grundfør near Aarhus ; died August 16, 1965 in Copenhagen ) was a Danish archaeologist , prehistorian and director of the Danish National Museum from 1951 to 1960.

Life

Johannes Brøndsted was the son of vicar Holger Brøndsted (1849-1916) and his wife Kristine Margrethe, née Bruun (1858-99). After graduating from Sorø Akademi , he first studied law and art history at the University of Copenhagen from 1909 , then classical philology and graduated in 1916 with the teaching exams for classical philology.

Already during his studies he was a constant guest at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen and in 1912 wrote the award publication “Ornamentiken i det attiske Vasemaleri i 6. og 5. Aarh., Den Oprindelse og Udvikling” (“Ornamentik der Attischen Vasenmalerei des 6. und 5th century BC, origin and development ”). On the mediation of Sophus Müller he became an employee at the Danish National Museum in 1917 and sub-inspector of the 1st department (Afdelingen for nordisk oldtid) in 1918 . The first scientific work followed. Brøndsted specialized in the Younger Germanic Iron Age and the Viking Age . With the thesis "Nordisk og fremmed ornamentation i Vikingetiden med Særligt Henblik paa Stiludviklingen i England" ( "Nordic foreign and ornamentation of the Viking era with special emphasis on the development of styles in England") of 1920 was he in 1921 graduated .

In addition to his work at the museum, he taught excavation techniques and himself led the archaeological expedition of the Danish National Museum in Salona, Dalmatia, financed by the state Rask-Ørsted Fondet in 1922/23 . He published the results together with Ejnar Dyggve in 1928 in the first volume of “Recherches à Salone” . This was followed by years of traveling through the collections of Europe, during which he deepened his knowledge of Nordic ornamentation and art development and made important contacts with the leading prehistorians in Europe. “Early English Ornament” was the first fruit of these journeys and formed the basis for the development of style in England in the 7th and 8th centuries. His “Dansk Forhistorie i Grundtræk” (“Basics of Danish Prehistory”) was aimed at a wider audience . Already working as a private lecturer in 1929, a teaching position led him to the University of Copenhagen in 1930, where Peter Vilhelm Glob and Carl Johan Becker became his first students.

At the same time he became inspector in 1931 and head of the 1st department at the National Museum in 1933, a position he held until 1941. During these years he wrote his three-volume work on “Danmarks Oldtid” : 1938 “Stenalderen” , 1939 “Bronzealderen” , 1940 “Jernalderen” . In 1941 he accepted the chair for Nordic archeology and European prehistory at the University of Copenhagen. After the death of Poul Nørlund (1888–1951) he took over the management of the National Museum, which he ran until 1960, from 1958 as the first under the title Reichsantiquar . His successor was his student Peter Vilhelm Glob.

Honors and memberships (selection)

Johannes Brøndsted was a member of numerous foreign and Danish academies and scientific associations, including:

He was Dannebrogsmand and commander of the Dannebrogden .

Publications (selection)

  • Nordisk and foreign ornamentation i Vikingetiden med særligt Henblik paa Stiludviklingen i England. In: Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie. 1920, pp. 162-182.
  • Early English ornament. Munksgaard, Copenhagen 1924.
  • with Ejnar Dyggve: Recherches à Salone. Volume 1: La ville de Salone - disposition et topographie. Schultz, Copenhagen 1928.
  • Danmarks Oldtid. Volume 1: Stenalderen. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1938.
    • Nordic prehistory: Volume 1: Stone Age in Denmark. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1960.
  • Danmarks Oldtid. Volume 2: bronze alder. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1939.
    • Nordic prehistoric times: Volume 2: Bronze Age in Denmark. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1962.
  • Danmarks Oldtid. Volume 3: Jernalderen. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1940.
    • Nordic prehistoric times: Volume 3: Iron Age in Denmark. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1963.
  • Vikings. Gyldendal, Copenhagen 1960.
    • The great time of the Vikings. Wachholtz, Neumünster 1964.
  • The earliest tider indtil år 600 (= Danmarks historie. Volume 1). Politiken, Copenhagen 1962.

literature

  • Peter Vilhelm Glob: Mindeaften for Johannes Brøndsted. In: Aarbøger for nordisk Oldkyndighed og Historie. 1966, pp. 5-35.
  • Carl Johan Becker in: Det Kongelige Danske Videnskabernes Selskab Oversigt 1965-66. 1966, pp. 105-117.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Brøndsted, Johannes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brøndsted, Johannes Balthasar (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Danish archaeologist, prehistorian and director of the Danish National Museum (1951–1960)
DATE OF BIRTH October 5, 1890
PLACE OF BIRTH Grundfør near Aarhus
DATE OF DEATH August 16, 1965
Place of death Copenhagen