Death of Hans-Günter Buchholz

24 June 2011

With much sadness we have learned that Hans-Günter Buchholz, Professor Emeritus of Giessen University, passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on Friday 24 June at his home in Langgöns, Germany.

Buchholz was born on 24 December 1919 in Fürstenwalde/Spree (Berlin). He started to study Archaeology and Ancient History as a prisoner of war in the US and received his PhD 1949 in Kiel (“Kretische Doppelaxt”, published 1959). His vast research interests, esp. in Cypriot, Mycenaean and Minoan Archaeology are reflected in publications as “Ägäische Bronzezeit” (1987), Altägäis und Altkypros” (together with V. Karageorghis, 1971, and translated into English “Prehistoric Greece and Cyprus” (1973). His research on “Methymna” (1975) served as his ‘Habilitation’ for the professorship in Berlin (1966-1968). Since 1969 until his retirement in 1985, he was full professor and director of the Archaeological Institut of the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen. Many important articles and books followed, under them “Ugarit, Zypern und Ägäis. Kulturbeziehungen im zweiten Jahrtausend v. Chr. (1999)“ and “Der Werkstoff Holz und seine Nutzung im ostmediterranen Altertum“ (2004). Recently, his substantial study on Homeric warfare „Kriegswesen“ (2010) was published as part of the “Archaeologia Homerica”, the series which he edited from 1967 on. Buchholz excavated at Tamassos (Cyprus) from 1970 to 1981 (“Tamassos. Ein antiker Stadtstaat im Bergbaugebiet von Zypern. Vol. I: Die Nekropolen I, II und III“, Münster 2010).

The funeral was held in private for the family only.