German Archaeological Institute at Athens

The German Archaeological Institute at Athens (German: Deutsches Archäologisches Institut (DAI), Abteilung Athen; Greek: Γερμανικό Αρχαιολογικό Ινστιτούτο Αθηνών) is one of the 17 foreign archaeological institutes operating in Athens, Greece.

Reading room at the library

Photo library

Building of the German Archaeological Institute at Athens, Fideiou 1 (built by Ernst Ziller)

General information, history, facilities

It was founded in 1874 as the second foreign archaeological institute in Athens. Today, it is one of several specialised departments that make up the German Archaeological Institute. With an ongoing research programme, a 75,000-volume library and a large photographic archive, the DAI Athens remains a major contributor to Greek archaeology.

Archaeological fieldwork

The German Archaeological Institute has been undertaking excavations at Olympia since 1875.

It has been involved in a multitude of excavations, such as Leukas and Ithaca (Ionian Islands), Orchomenos and Thebes (Boeotia), Menidi and Eleusis (Attica) and Amyklai (Laconia). Current activities include excavations at Kalapodi (Boeotia), Tiryns (Argolid), the Kerameikos (Athens), Ancient Olympia (Peloponnese) and the Heraion of Samos.

Directors

• Otto Lüders 1872–1874
• Ulrich Köhler 1875–1886
• Eugen Petersen 1886-1887
• Wilhelm Dörpfeld 1887–1912
• Georg Karo 1912–1919 and 1930–1936
• Ernst Buschor 1921–1929
• Walter Wrede 1937–1944
• Emil Kunze 1951–1966
• Ulf Jantzen 1967–1974
• Helmut Kyrieleis 1975–1988
• Klaus Fittschen 1989–2001
• Wolf-Dietrich Niemeier 2001–2013

Bibliography

• E. Korka et al. (eds.): Foreign Archaeological Schools in Greece, 160 Years, Athens, Hellenic Ministry of Culture, date, p. 74-85.

External links

• DAI Athens website