Gustaf Kossina German philologist, professor Date of Birth: 28.09.1858 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Education
2. Career in Archaeology
3. Settlement Archaeology
4. Nordic Aryan Race
5. Nazi Connections
6. Cultural Evolution
7. Legacy

Early Life and Education

Gustav Kossinna was born in 1858 in Tilsit, East Prussia (present-day Sovetsk, Russia). His father was a high school teacher, and Kossinna showed early academic promise by learning Latin and playing the piano as a child. He studied classical and Germanic philology at the universities of Göttingen, Leipzig, Berlin, and Strasbourg. In 1881, he earned his doctorate from Strasbourg with a dissertation on Upper Franconian written records.

Career in Archaeology

After working as a librarian from 1888 to 1892, Kossinna's interest in archaeology led him to join the Berlin Anthropological Society. In 1902, he was appointed professor of German archaeology at the University of Berlin. He became one of the most prominent archaeologists in Germany, publishing numerous books on the origins of the Germanic peoples.

Settlement Archaeology

Kossinna's theory of "settlement archaeology" became his key contribution to the field. He posited that distinct cultural regions were inhabited by distinct ethnic groups. Using this approach, he argued that the boundaries of early Germanic territory could be determined with more precision than through written sources alone.

Nordic Aryan Race

Kossinna promoted the idea of a Nordic Aryan race that originated in the Bronze Age and was superior to other races. He believed that this race's migration from the north to the south was a pivotal event in world history. This theory laid the groundwork for Nazi ideology, which saw Germans as the heirs of this superior race.

Nazi Connections

Kossinna was a supporter of the Nazi Party and founded the National Socialist Society for German Culture in 1928. He became a member of the Nordic Ring, an organization dedicated to the study of racial theory. His writings provided justification for Nazi annexations of land in Poland and Czechoslovakia, as he argued that any territory containing German artifacts was part of Germany.

Cultural Evolution

Kossinna's theory of cultural evolution argued that cultural advancement occurred through the transmission of ideas and technologies from superior to inferior peoples. This ethnocentric view emphasized the superiority of German history over the Roman Empire and served as a basis for Nazi claims to global dominance.

Legacy

Kossinna's ideas have been widely criticized for their methodological flaws and political bias. However, they have had a significant impact on the study of prehistoric cultures, particularly in the United States and Europe. His theory of the Nordic Aryan race remains a controversial and discredited concept.