Collection of Pre- and Proto-History
Team WissensSpuren and Collection of Pre- and Proto-History
The Prehistoric and Protohistoric Collection is dedicated to researching the material culture of the non-literate periods of Central European human history. The collection includes original finds and replicas, offering a comprehensive overview of all periods of Central European prehistory and protohistory — from the Paleolithic hand axe (1 million years ago) to the medieval stove tile (14th century).
History
The professorship was established in 1934. The first professor, Kurt Tackenberg (1899–1992), soon began creating a teaching collection.It is based on donations and targeted acquisitions from older Leipzig collections, such as those of the geology professor Johannes Felix (1859–1941) and the German Society for Research on the German Language and Antiquities, founded in 1827. Initially, it was housed at Schillerstraße 7/8 and suffered significant losses during the bombing of the institute building on December 4th, 1943. Many artifacts and all records were lost in the process. Since the 1950s, the collection has been rebuilt through donations and purchases from Leipzig citizens and other museums in the GDR, moving from Petersteinweg 2-8 to the 21st floor of the university high-rise. With the appointment of a new professor in Leipzig in 1993, the collection finally moved to its current premises at Ritterstraße 14. The collection grew to over 10,000 objects, particularly due to the donation of the entire archaeological collection of Johannes Felix, along with the geological-paleontological collection of the University of Leipzig. The collection includes stone and metal artifacts, ceramics, and coins from Leipzig and its surroundings, but also from other regions of Germany, as well as France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland, and even South America.
Education and Research
The collection plays an integral role in teaching. A primary research focus is the ongoing inventory of the artifacts, as well as the recovery of information about their discovery locations, contexts, and potential connections to older collections. Additionally, several major exhibitions have been organized, such as one on the collection of the Leipzig-based Linck family of pharmacists (Waldenburg 2014–2015), and, in collaboration with other university collections, an exhibition exploring the use of “stone” as a material from prehistory to modern times (SteinReich 2020).
Outreach
The collection is located in the office spaces of the Prehistoric and Protohistoric Collection and can be visited by appointment. Guided tours, small exhibitions, and educational programs (such as prehistoric ceramic production, which are regularly held during Museum Night) are offered.