Johannes Overbeck

Johannes Adolph Overbeck ( born March 27, 1826 in Antwerp, † November 8, 1895 in Leipzig ) was a German classical archaeologist.

Family background

Overbeck's grandfather was the Mayor of Lübeck and poet Christian Adolph Overbeck ( 1755-1821 ). Overbeck was married to Caroline Louise Augusta Goldfuss, daughter of the professor of zoology Georg August Goldfuß ( 1782-1848 ). His daughter Eleanor Cecilia Lotte Overbeck married anthropologists and ethnologists Emil Ludwig Schmidt ( 1837-1906 ). Overbeck's uncle was the painter Friedrich Overbeck ( 1789-1869 ).

Career

1845 Overbeck began his studies at the University of Bonn, in 1848 he awarded the degree of Dr. phil. completed. In 1850 his habilitation in Bonn. During his studies, he became in 1845 a member of the fraternity Fridericia Bonn and in the winter semester 1845/46 co-founder of the Bonn fraternity Franconia. Since 1853 Overbeck was an associate professor ( since 1859 as a full professor ) of archeology and director of the archaeological collection at the University of Leipzig. His goal was the "production of the fullest possible sequence of art history characteristic, but especially datable monuments" in casts. He built within a few decades to a representative, at the end of the century grown over approximately eight hundred fifty inventory numbers casting museum, which enjoyed recognition across national borders. Overbeck is the chief representative of kunstmythologischen School of Archaeology. His successor was in Leipzig in 1896 Franz Studniczka.

One of his major works to Pompeii could Overbeck write to, without that he had been before or during the preparation there. However, Overbeck evaluated to the extent of the archaeological literature that his work at Pompeii is still one of the main leader. He himself had been later after the appearance of a later edition to all appearances there - probably for the sake of verification of the information provided by him. This applies particularly to questions of topography.

As a representative of the University of Leipzig he was 1877/78 Member of the First Chamber of the Saxon parliament. Overbeck was a member of the Royal Saxon Society of Sciences in Leipzig. He was also a pioneer of the Leipzig university sports.

Major works

• Pompeii. Engelmann, Leipzig 1856 ( online at Arachne, Internet Archive ). 4th edition (along with August Mau ). 1884 ( Internet Archive ).
• History of Greek sculpture. 2 volumes, Leipzig, 1857-58 ( Volume 1: Internet Archive Volume 2:. Internet Archive ).
• The archaeological collection of the University of Leipzig. Leipzig 1859 ( Internet Archive ).
• The ancient written sources on the history of the visual arts among the Greeks. Leipzig 1868 ( Internet Archive ).
• Greek Mythology Art. 3 volumes, Leipzig from 1871 to 1889.
• Atlas. Leipzig 1872-1887