Kurt Krieger (ethnologist)

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Kurt Krieger (born January 17, 1920 in Berlin ; † 2007 there ) was a German ethnologist, Africanist and museum director.

Life

Kurt Kriegers tombstone in the Heerstrasse cemetery in Berlin-Westend

Kurt Krieger was born in Berlin in 1920 and grew up there. Immediately after graduating from high school, he was called up for military service and seriously injured in 1939: he lost his left eye. At least he was allowed to go back to Berlin and start studying.

He studied ethnology with Richard Thurnwald and Diedrich Westermann . He then worked as an assistant in the Berlin Ethnographic Museum and received his doctorate in 1942.

In 1943 he married Eva Keßel, with whom he had two daughters. Towards the end of the war he was called up again, was taken prisoner by the Soviets, but returned to Berlin in 1945.

He worked again at the Völkerkundemuseum, became head of department and, in 1970, after the death of Hans-Dietrich Disselhoff , became its director.

In 1952/53 and 1961/62 he carried out ethnological field research in Nigeria . In doing so, he put on extensive collections that ended up in his museum.

In 1985 he retired, but kept in close contact with the museum.

In 2007 he died in Berlin after a long illness.

swell

personal data
SURNAME Warrior, Kurt
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German ethnologist, Africanist and museum director
DATE OF BIRTH 17th January 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH Berlin
DATE OF DEATH 2007
Place of death Berlin