Ludwig Curtius (December 13, 1874 – April 10, 1954) was a German archaeologist born in

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ...

. He is remembered for his investigations involving the development of ancient Greek and Roman art. He studied classical archaeology in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

under

Adolf Furtwängler Johann Michael Adolf Furtwängler (30 June 1853 – 10 October 1907) was a German archaeologist, teacher, art historian and museum director. He was the father of the conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler and grandfather of the German archaeologist Andr ...

(1853–1907), of whom in 1899 he became tutor to Furtwängler's son, future famed conductor

Wilhelm Furtwängler Gustav Heinrich Ernst Martin Wilhelm Furtwängler ( , , ; 25 January 188630 November 1954) was a German conductor and composer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest symphonic and operatic conductors of the 20th century. He was a major ...

(1886–1954). From 1904 to 1907 Curtius participated in excavations at

Aegina Aegina (; el, Αίγινα, ''Aígina'' ; grc, Αἴγῑνα) is one of the Saronic Islands of Greece in the Saronic Gulf, from Athens. Tradition derives the name from Aegina, the mother of the hero Aeacus, who was born on the island and ...

and

Hattusa Hattusa (also Ḫattuša or Hattusas ; Hittite: URU''Ḫa-at-tu-ša'', Turkish: Hattuşaş , Hattic: Hattush) was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of ...

, afterwards becoming an associate professor at the

University of Erlangen A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

, where in 1913 he became ''professor ordinarius''. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he received the rank of lieutenant and served as a news officer in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

. After the war, he taught classes at the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially german: Uni Freiburg), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (german: Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemb ...

(from 1918) and later at the

University of Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

(from 1920). In 1928 he was appointed director at the ''Deutsches Archäologisches Institut'' (

German Archaeological Institute The German Archaeological Institute (german: Deutsches Archäologisches Institut, ''DAI'') is a research institute in the field of archaeology (and other related fields). The DAI is a "federal agency" under the Federal Foreign Office of Germany ...

, DAI) in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, a position he kept until his dismissal by the Nazis in 1938. After his release from the DAI, he remained in Rome until his death in 1954. He was buried in the

Teutonic Cemetery The Teutonic Cemetery ( it, Cimitero Teutonico, "Camposanto of the Teutons and the Flemish") is a burial site adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. Burial is reserved for members of the Confraternity of Our Lady of the German Cemeter ...

.Vatican City website "Teutonic Cemetery"
/ref> Curtius was the author of a number of influential works on classical archaeology; among his better-written efforts are: ''Antike Kunst'' (Ancient Art), ''Das Antike Rom'' (Ancient Rome), and ''Die Wandmalerei Pompejis'' (The Wall Paintings of Pompeii).

References

Sources

Dictionary of Art Historians, biography
* ''Parts of this article are based on a translation of an equivalent article at the German Wikipedia''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Curtius, Ludwig 1874 births 1954 deaths Scientists from Augsburg People from the Kingdom of Bavaria German archaeologists Classical archaeologists Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Academic staff of Heidelberg University Academic staff of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Academic staff of the University of Freiburg National-Social Association politicians German Army personnel of World War I Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Burials at the Teutonic Cemetery