Alexander Conze

Alexander Conze, born on December tenth, eighteen thirty-one, was a distinguished German archaeologist renowned for his expertise in ancient Greek art. Hailing from Hanover, he pursued his academic journey at the prestigious universities of Göttingen and Berlin, where he earned his doctorate in eighteen fifty-five under the mentorship of Eduard Gerhard.

In eighteen sixty-three, Conze took on the role of associate professor at the University of Halle, later advancing to a professorship in archaeology at the University of Vienna from eighteen sixty-nine to eighteen seventy-seven. His archaeological pursuits led him to Samothrace, where he conducted significant explorations in eighteen seventy-three and eighteen seventy-five.

Conze's career reached new heights in eighteen seventy-seven when he succeeded Karl Bötticher as the director of the Berlin Antikensammlung, the Collection of Classical Antiquities. His contributions to archaeology were further solidified in eighteen eighty-seven when he became the Secretariat of the German Archaeological Institute.

Among his notable achievements, Conze collaborated with engineer Carl Humann on excavations at Pergamon in Asia Minor, a project that spanned from eighteen seventy-eight to eighteen eighty-six. This endeavor led to the discovery of the Pergamon Altar, one of the most significant archaeological treasures of Hellenistic civilization, now housed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. In eighteen ninety, he initiated a second excavation at Pergamon with Wilhelm Dörpfeld.

Conze's legacy in the field of archaeology remains influential, and he passed away in Berlin, leaving behind a rich heritage of scholarly contributions.