Macht der Vergangenheit/Wer macht Vergangenheit: Archaologie und Politik.

Macht der Vergangenheit/Wer macht Vergangenheit: Archaologie und Politik. I was lucky to work recently for two years in the socialist-stylebuildings of the 'red' University in Frankfurt/Main, the townwith a red-green government and the biggest debts in Germany, but at thesame time one of the strongest archaeological centres, the most creativecentre of humanities (Geisteswissenschaften) and the tradition of theso-called Frankfurt school Frankfurt School,a group of researchers associated with the Institut für Sozialforschung (Institute of Social Research), founded in 1923 as an autonomous division of the Univ. of Frankfurt. (Fromm, Pollock, Leo Leo, in astronomyLeo[Lat.,=the lion], northern constellation lying S of Ursa Major and on the ecliptic (apparent path of the sun through the heavens) between Cancer and Virgo; it is one of the constellations of the zodiac. Lowenthal, Adorno orMarcuse). Drinking traditional Ebbelwoi (= sour cider, not recommended)I had the chance of observing some changes in German archaeology instatu nascendi, and of discussing them with many colleagues from atleast two generations.The papers presented in this volume, written mostly by the youngestgeneration of German archaeologists, present the first publishedsymptoms of these changes. Perhaps it is necessary to describe first inshort what is going on.German 'Vor- und Fruhgeschichte' archaeology until the endof the Second World War was the best developed in terms of excavationtechniques, methods of analysis, synthesis and theory. However, I hope Ido not have to describe the application of theory, particularly in the1930s and early 1940s, the important role of this theory in Naziideology and the connections between archaeology and politics in thesetimes. This part of the history of German archaeology is widely known,although recently the TAG editors asked me to explain who G. Kossinnawas. For anybody who would really like to understand the sociology ofCabaret times the best solution is to read Siegfried Lenz's novelHeimat-museum (Lenz 1987 in English translation). However it is not soclear what has happened since the Second World War. Some establishedarchaeologists who had survived did not keep chairs at universities,they did not have students and did not continue their research. However,it was not always the case (e.g. H. Jankuhn, J. Werner, M. Jahn or H.J.Eggers Eggers may refer to: Dave Eggers - an American writer and editor Eggers Industries - Neenah, WI Door Manufacturer Eggers Island - an island of Greenland Eggers - a character portrayed in Sealab 2021 Captain Reinhold Eggers - Colditz security chief. ). Discussing the important and extremely difficult question ofcontinuity and discontinuity in German post-war archaeology andparticularly in archaeological thought, I received as many answers asthere are disputants. Together with the racist theory, some otherimportant elements of the German archaeological school, above allinterest in theoretical problems, were obviously lost. Archaeologyusually came back to its older traditions and concentrated onexcavations, publication of material, typology typology/ty��pol��o��gy/ (ti-pol��ah-je) the study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type. typologythe study of types; the science of classifying, as bacteria according to type. , source-criticism(Quellenforschung) and often did not go further in social interpretation(with some important exceptions!). Strong criticism of Kossinna'stheory was published but no new theory of ethnicity appeared, and thissubject has scarcely been treated by west German archaeologists up untilthis day. However it would be rather an oversimplification o��ver��sim��pli��fy?v. o��ver��sim��pli��fied, o��ver��sim��pli��fy��ing, o��ver��sim��pli��fiesv.tr.To simplify to the point of causing misrepresentation, misconception, or error.v.intr. to say thatit ceased to be the subject of interest. For further reading I suggestparticularly the recent publications by H. Harke (1991), G. Kossack(1992) and H. Behrens (1993). There was a kind of intuitive feeling Noun 1. intuitive feeling - an intuitive understanding of something; "he had a great feeling for music"feelingintuition - instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes) among new generations of archaeologist, and perhaps a desire among theauthorities and politicians, that a subject not mentioned by scholarswould be forgotten by society as well. Most archaeologists wished andreally thought that their research and work had nothing to do withpolitics. That this could be a drastic mistake became apparent with thefall of the Berlin Wall, the confrontation between East and West, theriots in Rostock etc., which the authors of this collection of papersgiven in Rostock understood quite well. However most of the articles aremore a critical description of the situation, posing questions ratherthan finding keys or answers.The title is a pun and means 'Power of the past -- who createsthe past?', where the German words 'Macht/macht' mean'power' & 'creates'. Most of the papers derivedfrom the annual conference of the 'Northwest German Society ofAntiquarian an��ti��quar��i��an?n.One who studies, collects, or deals in antiquities.adj.1. Of or relating to antiquarians or to the study or collecting of antiquities.2. Dealing in or having to do with old or rare books. Research' organized in September 1992 (see Harke &Wolfram wolfram:see tungsten. 1993: 182-4). The discussion of the papers of the conference isalso included. Most of the authors try to answer important questionssuch as who they address their research to, and how much this researchis accepted.In the introductory article H. Harke -- a German archaeologist inBritain, and British in Germany -- presents connections between past andpresent, giving some examples from modern history and quotations fromliterature (Goethe, Orwell). He discusses also the sociological aspectof archaeology in societies, a very simplified picture of archaeologistsand their work. He concludes that archaeologists must be responsible andaware of this fact and try to present their subject to society in such away as to prevent possible misuse of the past. The discussion by R.Struwe concerns some important problems in the history of archaeology The history of archaeology has been one of increasing professionalisation, and the use of an increasing range of techniques, to obtain as much data on the site being examined as possible. OriginsThe exact origins of archaeology as a discipline are uncertain. inthe GDR GDRSee Global Depositary Receipt (GDR). (the former East Germany East Germany:see Germany. ), particularly its possible use tosupport a racist ideology.U. Sommer's paper on the influence of modern times on thereconstruction of the past, and on the ever-present danger of the misuseof archaeology for political aims, provokes the strongest discussionwith participation by F. Fetten, H. Harke and R. Struwe.J. Jacobs outlines the problems of National Socialism and archaeologyin the Institute of Prehistory prehistory,period of human evolution before writing was invented and records kept. The term was coined by Daniel Wilson in 1851. It is followed by protohistory, the period for which we have some records but must still rely largely on archaeological evidence to at Rostock University (with suchprominent scholars as E. Petersen, P. Paulsen, C. Engel and H. Jahnkuhn)starting from its beginnings in 1932 until the end of the Second WorldWar, and its possible connection with modern events.M. Schmidt and S. Wolfram review the unimaginative policies and theearly-20th-century methods of exhibiting in museums of prehistory inGermany, old-fashioned museum educational methods, and the total neglectof actual human beings, such as presenting the past as an economicimprovement from the stone age until modern times. They suggest moreindividual, subjective and varied approaches to exhibiting the past,giving visitors the possibility of personal reflection. J. Bieldiscusses some problems concerning museum and ideology based on theHochdorf-Museum.R. Vo[Beta] criticizes methods of exhibition in archaeologicalopen-air museums on the basis of the unsuccessful reconstruction of theSlavonic ritual centre in Gro[Beta] Raden in West Mecklenburg.Classifying most into the category of Disneyland Parks (perhaps it isbetter to visit them first), he does not however propose anythingconcrete in their place.I recommend to ANTIQUITY readers C. Holtorf's paper, not onlybecause he mentions the cover of our journal. His article concerns themodern commercialized function of Stonehenge and the conflict betweenhippies and English Heritage about this national monument. He suggeststhat archaeologists must pay much more attention to the perception andpossible misuse of prehistoric monuments by modern society. Some otherelements of this paper I leave readers themselves to judge.Th. Stern discusses the role of film in objective presentation of thepast, giving a selective list of more than 100 archaeological filmsproduced from 1927 until 1993. He finds out that all of them do muchmore to mirror the way of thinking about antiquity at the time of theirproduction, than reflect the reality of the past. Practically the samesubject, i.e. contradiction between historia magistra vitae and vitamagistra historiae is the subject of J. Beran's paper. He findsarchaeology to be very much dependent on current politics, ideology andeconomy, and to have very little influence on humanities.As the last paper, the editors of the volume publish a selection oftexts concerning archaeology, history, museums and collections writtenby Walter Benjamin. Unfortunately the editors forgot to add anybibliographical note, or at least a short explanation for foreignreaders as to who Walter Benjamin was (a Jewish writer and left-wingphilosopher of history and aesthetics connected with the Frankfurtschool, born in Berlin 1892, committed suicide in Catalonia in 1940 tosave himself from the Gestapo, 'rediscovered' after the SecondWorld War). One and a half pages of English summaries (Jacobs'paper appears to have been forgotten) is perhaps not enough to touch oneven the most important problems discussed in the papers, which is apity because they are not easy to follow for a foreigner.At the very end a resolution undertaken by the participants ofRostock Archaeological Congress 1992 is published subtitled'Archaeology' against racism and the Rostock pogrom'.This collection of papers is a good example of the painful rebirth oftheory in German archaeology. After this sentence I already hear astrong protest from my German friends and colleagues. That is why it isnecessary to clarify that there is a difference in the meaning of'theory' in Anglo-American and Central European research. Whatwe find usually as a theoretical background for our studies isunderstood mostly as a methodology in Anglo-Saxon scholarly tradition.For a few years now archaeological theory (in the English meaning ofthe word) has been the subject of some university seminars. InFrankfurt, for instance, ethnoarchaeology Ethnoarchaeology is the ethnographic study of peoples for archaeological reasons, usually focusing on the material remains of a society, rather than its culture. Ethnoarchaeology aids archaeologists in reconstructing ancient lifeways by studying the material and non-material dominated above all else, withcritical reviews of British theories. German ethnoarchaeology togetherwith 'Siedlungsarchaologie' is far advanced, which has howevernot been recognized in Britain and USA until now (language barrier?). Inmy opinion it is already clear that as a final result of these changes,we should not expect adoption of overseas novelties (perhaps with oneexception -- 'Frauenforschung' i.e. gender archaeology --given the still strong domination of male archaeologists in Germany).Methods of education in elementary and grammar schools in Germany This is a list of schools in Germany sorted by Bundesland. See also List of universities in Germany. Baden-W��rttembergAchern Gymnasium Achern Bad Mergentheim (together with the whole of Central Europe) are quite different to thoseof the UK or the USA, which results in quite different methods ofthinking about the humanities and research, as well as a quite otherscholarly mentality. German 'Quellenforschung' will never bein agreement with British 'patterns'. However it does not meanthat modern German theory (once again in the English meaning of theword) which is slowly emerging and looking for its own scholarly rootswill not be in strong concurrence CONCURRENCE, French law. The equality of rights, or privilege which several persons-have over the same thing; as, for example, the right which two judgment creditors, Whose judgments were rendered at the same time, have to be paid out of the proceeds of real estate bound by them. Dict. de Jur. h.t. with British theory in the future.That is why it is much better to observe what is going on from the verybeginning.ReferencesBEHRENS, H. 1993. Urgeschichte -- Ethnologie -- Ideologie:Ausgewahlte Beitrage aus vierzigjahriger Schaffenszeit 1950-1990.Frankfurt-am-Main.HARKE, H. 1991. All quiet on the Western Front All Quiet on the Western Frontunromanticized novel of WWI and its unsung heroes. [Ger. Lit.: All Quiet on the Western Front]See : AntimilitarismAll Quiet on the Western Front ? Paradigms, methodsand approaches in West German archaeology, in I. Hodder (ed.),Archaeological theory in Europe: 187-222. London & New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of (NY):Routledge.HARKE, H. & S. WOLFRAM. 1993. First German workshop on theory inarchaeology, Rostock 1992, Current Anthropology 32: 182-4.KOSSACK, G. 1992. Prehistoric archaeology in Germany: its history andcurrent situation, Norwegian Archaeological Review 25: 73-109.LENZ, S. 1987. The heritage (Heimatmuseum, translated from theGerman). London: Methuen.