About the Collection

As early as 1826, the “Academic Art Museum” was founded, modelled on the institution in Bonn. In 1835, it was renamed the “Cabinet of Art, Coins, and Antiquities.” The holdings of the early collection are largely unknown, as all archival records were destroyed during World War II. In addition to a coin collection dating back to the eighteenth century, the cabinet included a collection of plaster casts and the “Lippert Daktyliothek,” which has survived to the present day. From its inception, the collection was steadily expanded through the acquisition of original works and casts from Paris, as well as through various donations. For example, in 1835 the Archaeological Institute received casts from the Erbach Collection.

The history of the collection can be documented in greater detail from the late nineteenth century onward. Bruno Sauer, who completed his habilitation in Giessen in 1892 and is regarded as the true founder of Classical Archaeology there, devoted considerable attention to the collection beginning in 1897. Since 1898, the collection has been known as the “Archaeological Institute.” In addition to planning the expansion of the cast collection, which had occupied nearly 300 square metres in the so-called “Neue Kollegiengebäude” since the move there in 1879, Sauer also systematically enlarged the collection of original objects.

For a long period following World War I, the collection was expanded only sporadically through individual sherds brought back from the travels of successive chairholders. Under Margarete Bieber, the plaster cast collection in particular was considerably enlarged and extensively used for both teaching and research. It was not until 1939 that Willy Zschietzschmann succeeded in adding several Attic red-figure vases and an important Faliscan amphora to the collection.

Owing largely to Zschietzschmann’s efforts, the collection of original objects survived the extensive wartime destruction of Giessen with only minor damage. The coin collection was likewise preserved in its entirety, whereas the cast collection was almost completely destroyed on 6 December 1944.

In the post-war period — the Institute itself was not re-established until 1964 under the name “Professorship of Classical Archaeology” — the collection gradually became dispersed. It was not until the 1970s that antiquities were reassembled by Hans-Günther Buchholz and his then assistant, W. Hornbostel, and catalogued by F. W. von Hase. Buchholz subsequently published many of the antiquities for the first time and expanded the collection in accordance with his research interests. The collection now includes numerous Cypriot antiquities, vessels of the Late Classical period, and prehistoric artefacts. The sherd collection has likewise grown considerably.

Since digital technologies have become increasingly central to knowledge transfer in museums, the Department of Classical Archaeology, under the direction of Prof. Dr. Katharina Lorenz, has integrated digital methods into its exhibitions with growing emphasis since 2018.

This innovative and forward-looking approach to the public presentation of the university’s collection benefits both museum visitors and students in the Department of Classical Archaeology. Visitors are now able to access a growing number of digitised objects from the Collection of Classical Antiquities remotely. At the same time, students gain valuable practical experience under the guidance of curator Dr. Michaela Stark. Through seminars and practical courses, they acquire not only a solid understanding of the presentation of exhibits within a museum context, but also advanced skills in the use of digital tools for designing interactive visitor experiences. In this way, hands-on learning and the application of digital methods provide students with key competencies essential to their future professional careers.