Events Calendar – British School at Athens

August Schörgendorfer’s photos of Villa Ariadne and the excavations at Knossos. Source: © A. Schörgendorfer’s photo album

Annual Bader Archive Lecture

Dr Georgia Flouda (Archaeological Museum of Heraklion), “Adventures in the Archives: Reconstructing archaeology in Nazi-Occupied Crete”

Abstract: This presentation explores the institutional and political context of the Wehrmacht’s Kunstschutz (‘Art Protection’), established in 1941 following the conquest of Crete, through archival testimonies and the case studies of two young archaeologists, August Schörgendorfer and Ulf Jantzen. Recruited under the guise of protecting cultural heritage, these figures played an active role in shaping research agendas for the archaeological exploration of Crete between 1941 and 1942. The talk will also examine the involvement of institutional actors affiliated with the German Archaeological Institute and the University of Graz, thus shedding light on the inter-institutional dynamics that influenced heritage policies during the occupation. By revealing previously undocumented aspects of these collaborations, the presentation will contribute to a deeper understanding of how cultural protection was intertwined with political agendas and will further add to critical discussions on the entanglement of archaeology and politics.

Bio: Dr. Georgia Flouda currently serves as Head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities at the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion. She received her PhD from the University of Athens (2006) and held research fellowships from Princeton University (Seeger Center, 2011) and Harvard University (the Center for Hellenic Studies, 2014). Her research interests include writing systems in Bronze Age Aegean and their cognitive aspects, as well as administration, economy and mortuary practices in this area; research in World War II archaeology is another ongoing activity. She has recently completed a monograph on the excavations of August Schörgendorfer at Apesokari/Mesara.

Hybrid Lecture

To attend in person in Athens, please register HERE

To attend online via Zoom webinar, please register HERE