Sunhild Kleingärtner (born 1974) is a German

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

, specialising in

maritime history Maritime history is the study of human interaction with and activity at sea. It covers a broad thematic element of history that often uses a global approach, although national and regional histories remain predominant. As an academic subject, it ...

and

maritime archaeology Maritime archaeology (also known as marine archaeology) is a discipline within archaeology as a whole that specifically studies human interaction with the sea, lakes and rivers through the study of associated physical remains, be they vessels, sh ...

Career

Kleingärtner was born in

Wolfsburg Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian language, Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth-largest city in the Germany, German state of Lower Saxony, on the river Aller (Germany), Aller east of Hanover and west of Berlin. Wolfsburg is famous as the locat ...

, and began her studies at the

University of Kiel Kiel University, officially the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel, (, abbreviated CAU, known informally as Christiana Albertina) is a public research university in the city of Kiel, Germany. It was founded in 1665 as the ''Academia Holsator ...

in 1994. Her research focused on

prehistoric archaeology Prehistoric archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, which deals specifically with artefacts, civilisations and other materials from societies that existed before any form of writing system or historical record. Often the field focuses on ages ...

, classical archaeology and

art history Art history is the study of Work of art, artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Tradit ...

. In 2000 she gained a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

degree, and thereafter worked as a research assistant at the Kiel Institute of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology (Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte in Kiel), where she took over the management of terrestrial and subaquatic

excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

. In 2004 Kleingärtner gained her

PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

from the University of Kiel, with a study of the archaeological finds at

Hedeby Hedeby (, Old Norse: ''Heiðabýr'', German: ''Haithabu'') was an important Danish Viking Age (8th to the 11th centuries) trading settlement near the southern end of the Jutland Peninsula, now in the Schleswig-Flensburg district of Schleswig ...

harbour (Title: 'Der Pressmodelfund aus dem Hafen von Haithabu'). The same year, she was a researcher on the Tissø project at the

National Museum of Denmark The National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet) in Copenhagen is Denmark, Denmark's largest museum of cultural history, comprising the histories of Danish and foreign cultures, alike. The museum's main building is located a short distance from S ...

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

. Between 2006 and 2012 Kleingärtner was a researcher at the University of Kiel, where she completed her

Habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...

sschrift on ‘The Early Phase of Urbanisation in the Early Middle Ages on the Southern Baltic Sea Coast’ (Die frühe Phase der Urbanisierung im Frühmittelalter an der südlichen Ostseeküste). In 2013 Kleingärtner took posts as director of the German Maritime Museum at

Bremerhaven Bremerhaven (; ) is a city on the east bank of the Weser estuary in northern Germany. It forms an exclave of the Bremen (state), city-state of Bremen. The Geeste (river), River Geeste flows through the city before emptying into the Weser. Brem ...

and as professor of

and

at the

University of Bremen The University of Bremen () is a public university in Bremen, Germany, with approximately 18,400 students from 117 countries. Its 12 faculties offer more than 100 degree programs. The University of Bremen has been among the top 50 European rese ...

. In 2022 Kleingärtner received a Thomas Mann fellowship.

Selected publications

* Edited with T. Newfield, S. Rossignol and D. Wehner: ''Landscapes and Societies in Medieval Europe East of the Elbe. Interactions between Environmental Settings and Cultural Transformations'', Toronto 2013. * Edited with U. Müller and J. Scheschkewitz: ''Kulturwandel im Spannungsfeld von Tradition und Innovation. Festschrift für Michael Müller-Wille'', Neumünster 2013. * ''Rauben, Plündern, Morden oder andere Gründe für die Aufgabe der frühmittelalterlichen Seehandelsplätze an der südlichen Ostseeküste?'', in: O. Heinrich-Tamáska (ed.): ''Rauben, Plündern, Morden - Nachweis von Zerstörung und kriegerischer Gewalt im archäologischen Befund'', Hamburg 2013, pp. 357–372. * ''Siedlungsarchäologische Untersuchungen zwischen Schwentine und Oder in frühgeschichtlicher Zeit'', in: J. Drauschke/R. Prien/S. Ristow (ed.): ''Untergang und Neuanfang. Tagungsbeiträge der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Spätantike und Frühmittelalter 3 und 4'' (Studien zu Spätantike und Frühmittelalter 3), Hamburg 2011, pp. 241–261. * ''Der Pressmodelfund aus dem Hafen von Haithabu'' (Ausgrabungen in Haithabu 12), Neumünster 2007 (= Dissertation). * ''Unterwasserarchäologische Prospektion und Dokumentation von Flussübergängen des 7.-16. Jahrhunderts - Einblicke in die unterwasserarchäologische Ausbildung am Kieler Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte'', In: Starigard 8, 2007, pp. 72–77. * ''Archäologie im Tauchanzug'', in: Schleswig-Holstein Maritim, Spezial (Ausstellungskatalog) Flensburg 2006, pp. 11–13. * ''Fibeln und Anhänger vom Typ Terslev und ihre gegossenen Imitationen''. In: Michael Müller-Wille (ed.): ''Zwischen Tier und Kreuz. Untersuchungen zur wikingerzeitlichen Ornamentik im Ostseeraum'' (Studien zur Siedlungsgeschichte und Archäologie der Ostseegebiete 4), Neumünster 2004, 205-376 (= Magisterarbeit).

References

External links

Webpage on Sunhild Kleingärtner at the University of Bremen

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kleingartner, Sunhild Maritime archaeology Underwater archaeology Maritime historians Medievalists 21st-century German historians University of Kiel alumni 1974 births Living people German women archaeologists People from Wolfsburg