Kurt Bittel (born 5 July 1907 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, died 30 January 1991 in Heidenheim an der Brenz) was a German prehistorian. As president of the

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 ...

(''Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts'' - DAI) and excavator of the Hittite city of

Hattusha 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 ...

in Turkey, as well as an expert on the

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

in Central Europe, he acquired great merit.

Decorations and awards

;State awards * Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1955) * Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Member, 1967; Chancellor of the Order 1971–1979; 3rd Vice-Chancellor from 1979 to 1980; 2nd Vice-Chancellor 1980–1984) *

Austrian Decoration for Science and Art The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (german: Österreichisches Ehrenzeichen für Wissenschaft und Kunst) is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian ...

(1978) *

Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (german: link=no, Verdienstorden des Landes Baden-Württemberg) is the highest award of the German State of Baden-Württemberg. Established 26 November 1974, it was originally called the Medal of Merit of Bad ...

(1982) * Grand Cross of Merit with Star and Sash of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1984) ;Memberships: * Honorary member of the İstanbul Enstitüsü (1955),

Turkish Historical Society The Turkish Historical Society ( tr, Türk Tarih Kurumu, TTK) is a research society studying the history of Turkey and the Turkish people, founded in 1931 by the initiative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. It has been ...

(''Türk Tarih Kurumu''; Ankara, 1959), Royal Irish Academy (Dublin, 1965), Société de Yougoslavie Archéologique (''Arheološko Društvo Jugoslavije'', Belgrade, 1966), German-Turkish Association (Bonn, 1970), Society for Pre- and Early History in Württemberg and Hohenzollern (''Gesellschaft für Archäologie in Württemberg und Hohenzollern'') (1977), Honorary Member of the

(1982) * Honorary Corresponding Member of

The Prehistoric Society The Prehistoric Society is an international learned society devoted to the study of the human past from the earliest times until the emergence of written history. Now based at University College London in the United Kingdom, it was founded by V. ...

(Oxford, 1956) * Honorary Fellow of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

(1965) * Foreign Honorary Member of the Archaeological Institute of America (New York, 1967),

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (abbreviation: AAA&S) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, a ...

(Boston, Massachusetts, 1980), and the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communit ...

(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1984). ;Other * Honorary Citizen of the city of Heidenheim (1967) * Honorary doctorates from the

University of Istanbul , image = Istanbul_University_logo.svg , image_size = 200px , latin_name = Universitas Istanbulensis , motto = tr, Tarihten Geleceğe Bilim Köprüsü , mottoeng = Science Bridge from Past to the Future , established = 1453 1846 1933 ...

(1969),

Anadolu University Anadolu University ( tr, Anadolu Üniversitesi) is a public university in Eskişehir, Turkey. The university is known for its success in verbal fields such as history and communication. Its Faculty of Communication Sciences is sometimes considered ...

(''Anadolu Üniversitesi'') (

Eskişehir Eskişehir ( , ; from "old" and "city") is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. The urban population of the city is 898,369 with a metropolitan population of 797,708. The city is located on the banks of the ...

, Turkey; 1990)

References

1907 births 1991 deaths People from Heidenheim Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Recipients of the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Members of the Royal Irish Academy Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences German male non-fiction writers Corresponding Fellows of the British Academy {{Germany-historian-stub Members of the American Philosophical Society