Gerhard Bersu, Rudolf Egger und die österreichisch-deutsche Forschungskooperation in Kärnten (1928–1931)

Abstract

One of the least well-known chapters of Austrian and German research history are the joint archaeological projects undertaken by the Roman-Germanic Commission and the Austrian Archaeological Institute in Carinthia between 1928 and 1931. The main aim was to provide practical training in excavation for students from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Romania. The accompanying programme included specialist lectures and excursions to the most important excavation sites of the Upper Adriatic. The world economic crisis of 1931 and the ensuing difficulty in obtaining financial support for research projects brought these activities to an end.
In the years that followed, the personal fates of both the main protagonists, Gerhard Bersu and Rudolf Egger, were decisively influenced by the rise and fall of National Socialism.