Ewald Adolf Ludwig Wilhelm Schuldt (3 January 1914 – 1 June 1987) was a German

prehistorian Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...

who carried out significant research into the

megalith A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

s of northern Germany.

Life

Early years

Schuldt was born on 3 January 1914 in Mechelsdorf near

Rerik Rerik (, formerly Alt-Gaarz) is a town in the Rostock district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It is situated on the Baltic Sea coast, 19 km west of Bad Doberan, and 27 km northeast of Wismar. In 1938, Rerik was named ...

and grew up as an only child in simple circumstances. He never got to know his father, an agricultural labourer, because he was killed in 1914 as a soldier in France. The second husband of hs mother was to him an understanding stepfather, who initially wanted to Ewald Schuldt to follow him as a gardener.Klaus-Dieter Gralow (ed.): ''Ewald Schuldt: archäologische Expeditionen im eigenen Land (1950–1984).'' Stock & Stein, Schwerin 2005, p. 317.

Significance

Ewald Schuldt is one of the best known and most successful Mecklenburg archaeologists. He conducted research of lasting importance, particularly in the field of prehistory and early history. His scientific work built on the research begun in 1835 by G.C.F. Lisch, and continued from 1880 to 1942 by Robert Beltz.Klaus-Dieter Gralow: ''Sein Grundprinzip: nahezu ständige Anwesenheit auf Ausgrabungen; der Archäologe Prof. Dr. Ewald Schuldt.'' In: ''Mecklenburg.'' Vol. 46, No. 9, 2004, pp. 14–15. The focus of his scientific work was on excavations of

megalithic tomb A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea. The ...

s, the grave sites of the Neolithic farming peoples around the middle of the 3rd century B.C. and on the excavations of Slavic archaeological sites (600 to 1,200 A.D.). Excavations from this time gave him insights into the social, economic and cultural life of the ancient Slavs. By 1945 almost nothing was known about them in Mecklenburg; his achievement is that our knowledge of this field increased many times over.Rolf Seiffert: ''Der Mann, der Mecklenburg ausgrub: Prof. Dr. Ewald Schuldt (3. Januar 1914 – 1. Juni 1987).'' In: ''Mecklenburg-Magazin.'' No. 14, 1990, pp. 1–2. Particularly noteworthy is his extensive bibliography as well as his numerous awards.

Death

Schuldt died on 1 June 1987 in

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the capital and second-largest city of the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern as well as of the region of Mecklenburg, after Rostock. ...

Honours

* Member of the (

International Council of Museums The International Council of Museums (ICOM) is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to museums, maintaining formal relations with UNESCO and having a consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Founded in 1946, I ...

) and the Permanent Council of the ''Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistorique'' * Member of the Advisory Board for Soil Conservation in the Ministry of Trade and Higher Education, the Council of Ancient History and Archaeology at the Academy of Sciences, Council for Museum Affairs and the National Museum Council of the GDR *

Patriotic Order of Merit The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: ''Vaterländischer Verdienstorden'', or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding ...

* Star of People's Friendship *

National Prize of East Germany The National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (german: Nationalpreis der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik) was an award of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) given out in three different classes for scientific, artistic, ...

Works

* ''Der eintausendjährige Tempelort Gross Raden.'' Museum für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Schwerin, 1987. * ''25 Jahre Museum für Ur- und Frühgeschichte Schwerin.'' Museum für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Schwerin, 1977. * ''Die mecklenburgischen Megalithgräber.'' Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaft, Berlin, 1972. * ''Mecklenburg – urgeschichtlich.'' Petermänken, Schwerin, 1954.

References

Literature

* Gabriele Baumgartner,

Dieter Hebig Dieter Hebig (born 23 February 1957) is a German archivist and historian. Life Born in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, Hebig comes from the Thuringian region of Eichsfeld. After attending school, he completed a vocational training with a high school di ...

(eds.): ''Biographisches Handbuch der SBZ/DDR. 1945–1990.'' Vol. 2: ''Maaßen – Zylla. Nachtrag zu Band 1.'' Saur, Munich and others, 1997, . * Klaus-Dieter Gralow (ed.): ''Ewald Schuldt. Archäologische Expeditionen im eigenen Land (1950–1984).'' Stock & Stein, Schwerin, 2005, . * Klaus-Dieter Gralow: ''Sein Grundprinzip: nahezu ständige Anwesenheit auf Ausgrabungen. Der Archäologe Prof. Dr. Ewald Schuldt.'' In: ''Mecklenburg.'' Vol. 46, No. 9, 2004, , . * Horst Keiling: ''Ewald Schuldt: Ein schwerer Anfang.'' In ''Mecklenburg.'' Vol. 43, No. 4, 2001, pp. 17–18. * Horst Keiling: ''Ewald Schuldt zum 65. Geburtstag.'' In ''Ethnographisch-archäologische Zeitschrift.'' Vol. 20, No. 1, 1979, , . * Horst Keiling: ''Ewald Schuldt zum Gedenken.'' In ''Schweriner Blätter.'' Vol. 8, 1988, , pp. 95–97. * Horst Keiling: ''Steinzeitgräber und Slawenburgen. Zur Erinnerung an Prof. Dr. Ewald Schuldt.'' In ''Heimathefte für Mecklenburg und Vorpommern.'' Vol. 14, No. 2, 2004, , . * Lothar Mertens: ''Das Lexikon der DDR-Historiker.'' Saur, Munich, 2006, . * Rolf Seiffert: ''Der Mann, der Mecklenburg ausgrub: Prof. Dr. Ewald Schuldt (3 January 1914 – 1 June 1987).'' In: ''Mecklenburg-Magazin.'' No. 14, 1990, , pp. 1–2.

External links

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Familiar with hoe and spade - Personalities in the service of the country's history: from the information system of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schuldt, Ewald Prehistorians Recipients of the Patriotic Order of Merit in bronze Recipients of the National Prize of East Germany 1914 births 1987 deaths Archaeologists from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania People from Bezirk Rostock 20th-century archaeologists