emer. o. Univ.-Prof. Dr. h.c. Dr. Herwig Friesinger
Contact
- Email: herwig.friesinger@univie.ac.at
- University of Vienna - Department of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology, Franz-Klein-Gasse 1, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
Profile
Herwig Friesinger is an archaeologist with a scientific focus on the early history of Austria in its Central European context. He initiated and led numerous excavations, for example in Pitten (1967-1971), in Gars-Thunau am Kamp (1965-1990), on the Oberleiserberg and on the Caribbean island of St Lucia, and is regarded as the founder of aerial archaeology in Austria. As a long-standing director of the Institute of Prehistory and Early History at the University of Vienna (1978-1992), he made a significant contribution to the content and administrative organisation of today's institute, including the move to the premises in Franz-Klein-Gasse in 1988 and the establishment of restoration workshops. As a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, he was involved in the Prehistoric Commission, as Secretary of the Philosophical-Historical Class and Secretary General (2003-2009). He is also a member of the German Archaeological Institute, a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, and a member of the Scientific Council of the Archaeological Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Brno and the Slovak Academy of Sciences of the Archaeological Institute in Nitra.
Key Research Topics
- Early medieval history of the Eastern Alps and Danube region
- Late Antiquity
- Archaeology of the Slavs
Prizes and awards
1970: Förderungspreis des Landes Niederösterreich
1982: Ehrenring der Marktgemeinde Gars am Kamp
1999: Kulturpreis des Landes Niederösterreich
2010: Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich
Publications
A list of publications can be found in the Festschrift for Herwig Friesinger (Nowotny, E., Obenaus, M., and Uzunoglu-Obenaus, S. 2018. 50 Jahre Archäologie in Thunau am Kamp. Festschrift für Herwig Friesinger. Archäologische Forschungen in Niederösterreich 5. Krems: Landessammlungen Niederösterreich/Donau-Universität Krems).
Highlights
Einwögerer, T., Friesinger, H., Händel, M., Neugebauer-Maresch, C., Simon, U., and Teschler-Nicola, M. 2006. Upper Palaeolithic infant burials. Nature 444, 7117: 285–285.
Friesinger, H., und Vacha, B. 1988. Die vielen Väter Österreichs. Römer, Germanen, Slawen: eine Spurensuche, 2. Auflage. Wien: Compress-Verlag.
Friesinger, H. 1977. Studien zur Archäologie der Slawen in Niederösterreich II. Das frühmittelalterliche Gräberfeld von Pitten-Kreuzackergasse. Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission 17-18. Wien: Österreichische Akadamie der Wissenschaften.
Friesinger, H. 1971. Studien zur Archäologie der Slawen in Niederösterreich I. Mitteilungen der Prähistorischen Kommission 15-16. Wien: Österreichische Akadamie der Wissenschaften.
Academic Career
2003-2009: Secretary General of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
1995-2003: Secretary of the Philosophical-Historical Class of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
1993: Elected a full member of the philosophical-historical class of the Austrian Academy of Sciences
1992-1996: Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Vienna
1978: Appointment as full university professor (Chair of Prehistory of Humanity, University of Vienna)
Academic Education
1974: Habilitation, University of Vienna
1962-1969: Studied prehistory and early history at the University of Vienna
Further Information
Herwig Friesinger on the website of the Austrian Academy of Sciences