Schliemann and His Papers 787
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HESPERIA 76 (2OO7) SCHLIEMANN AND HIS Pages 785-817 PAPERS A Tale from the Gennadeion Archives ABSTRACT Heinrich Schliemanns heirs deposited most of his personal papers in the Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens over in 1936, but retained control them until the School purchased them in 1962. For 27 years, the heirs granted sole authorization to exploit the papers access to Ernst Meyer, who published only limited excerpts, obstructed the of other researchers, and borrowed several volumes that were never returned. The author explores the troubled history of the Heinrich Schliemann Papers since the archaeologist's death in 1890 and examines the ways inwhich recent access are new on improvements in cataloguing and facilitating research Schliemann s life and career in their historical context. The basic outline of Heinrich Schliemanns life is fairly well known: his successes parsonage childhood and straitened youth, the entrepreneurial of his maturity, his quest for the Greek bride who became his second wife, and the famous archaeological discoveries of his later career.1 Schliemann own frequently publicized his life story, beginning with the preface to The abbreviations for archival 1.1 thank Natalia Vogeikoff-Brogan, following - archivist of the American School of documentation are used: HS&FP Studies at for Heinrich Schliemann and Classical Athens, grant Family Papers; access to GennRec = Gennadeion ing the Schliemann Papers Records, and to the Schliemann approval publish elements of Correspondence Folders; further work B = Heinrich series correspondence, enabling Schliemann Papers, on = the database, and for encouragement B: Correspondence; BBB Heinrich are to and advice; special thanks due Schliemann Papers, series BBB: Copy Maria Voltera and Katerina Papatheo books. HS&FP is the unpublished phani of the Gennadius Library for finding aid on file at the Gennadius 2.1 am wherever a for their efforts regarding Fig. Library; possible, URL to the also grateful Tracey Cullen, editor webpage reproducing HS&FP of the content is also accessed Hesperia, anonymous reviewers, given (all pages and Curtis Runnels for their comments June 2007). The Gennadius Library's on an administrative and suggestions earlier draft. correspondence relating Quotations of texts written in to Schliemann is cited as follows: name, + English preserve original spelling; all date (GennRec file number). translations of other texts are my own. ? The American School of Classical Studies at Athens 786 STEFANIE A. H. KENNELL an account Ithaque, le P?loponn?se, Troie: Recherches arch?ologiques (1869), further elaborated in the mythopoeic autobiographical introduction to Ilios in (1880) and perpetuated his posthumous Selbstbiographie (1892), which is still in print.2 s The original documentation for Schliemann career, however, consists sources of archival that remain largely unpublished. Most of these primary sources have been housed in the Gennadius Library of the American School are more of Classical Studies at Athens since 1936. They both plentiful more and lacunose than many would suspect. In this study, I examine how at the Heinrich Schliemann Papers arrived the American School, what persons had access to them, the purposes and results of their research, and on the effects of their efforts and interests scholarship about Schliemann. The part played by Ernst Meyer in the history of the papers is of particu lar interest. I also consider the ways inwhich recent improvements to the documentation of the papers may benefit present and future research on Schliemann and the era in which he lived. THE SCHLIEMANN PAPERS, THEIR CREATOR, AND THE GENNADEION as In order to understand the papers material evidence?a deposit of textual artifacts?we need to consider the factors that influenced their formation, beginning with the circumstances of Schliemanns death and the habits of a lifetime. Heinrich Schliemann died at 68 in on December age Naples 2. Schliemann 1869,1880,1892; of from an ear he had in Korres 26, 1890, complications operation undergone Meyer 1930-1931. Cf. 1974, was to a nos. nos. Germany the month before. His body returned Athens few days p. 37, 261-268, p. 38, 270, no. 40, no. 292 later by his brother-in-law Panagiotis Kastromenos and his archaeologi 278, p. 39, 282, p. (and to n. 32, below). The most recent r??dition cal associate Wilhelm D?rpfeld.3 In addition his many publications, of the (Vollmann 2004, numerous international and the Iliou his monumental autobiography honors, Melathron, is with accompanying essay) subtitled residence in Schliemann left behind an extensive collection of cor Athens, Trojanische Tr?ume inMecklenburg. See respondence and other documents.4 His practice of assiduously archiving also Calder 1972; Easton 1982; Calder own as as andTraill Runnels copies of his outgoing letters well incoming correspondence and 1986;Traill 1995; 2002. account when he was a businessman still in his twenties, ledgers, adopted 3. worked with Schlie continued his life and into the most D?rpfeld throughout working metamorphosis mann at Orchomenos, Troy, Tiryns, famous of modern times. Because he died before the end of archaeologist and other sites beginning in 1882 the calendar Schliemann did not have his cor year, however, incoming and became First Secretary of the set never of German Institute at respondence for 1890 bound; that final of letters became part Archaeological one of Athens in 1887: Traill 1995, p. 297, his literary legacy (Nachla?) and thus constitutes important group citing "Stoll 1953" (= Stoll 1958), p. 304. items lost from his personal archive.5 See also HS&FP, pp. 3-4 (http://www The first Schliemann documents to arrive at the Gennadius Library .ascsa.edu.gr/archives/Gennadius/ were a set of letters written to the brothers Frank and Calvert of the James Schliemann/SchBiography.htm). vast Dardanelles and donated by Francis Bacon in 1923. The majority of the 4. Korres 1974; Runnels 2002. were Andromache 5. See Ernst to Peter papers deposited at the library by Schliemanns children, Meyer Top were ping, November 26,1956 (GennRec 1). Melas and Agamemnon Schliemann, in 1936 (Fig. 1). Still others 6.HS&FP, 5-7 donated between the 1960s and the 1990s.6 In this article I am pp. (http://www primarily .asesa. edu.gr/archives/Gennadius/ concerned with the and that came to the Genna papers correspondence Schliemann/SchHistory.htm). Cf. deion in 1936 and their fate at the hands of various Schliemann researchers Lord 1947, pp. 255-266; Meritt 1984, sources and often difficult tale (Schliemannforscher). The for this cautionary pp. 222,230. SCHLIEMANN AND HIS PAPERS 787 Figure 1.The Schliemann Papers in 1937: letters to Schliemann, copying and 1870 books, diaries, ledgers, 1890. Photo E. Meyer, courtesy Gennadius Library, American School of Classical Stud ies at Athens not comprise only the papers themselves, but also the Gennadius Library's own correspondence, reports, and other documentation.7 The textual archive that Schliemann created through the habits of a now lifetime is designated the Heinrich Schliemann Papers. It forms the core of the Heinrich Schliemann and Family Papers held by the Genna dius Library The "Family" section of the papers comprises two sets of one documents, connected with Schliemann's second wife, Sophia Enga stromenos Schliemann, and another relating to Heinrichs extended fam ily, including his birth family and his children from his first and second are a 7. For abbreviations and citation marriages.8 The Heinrich Schliemann Papers proper much larger see n. above. more formats, 1, and diverse array of documents that required many years of effort 8.HS&FP, pp. 47-50 to (http://www process and catalogue.9 Donald Easton's survey of the papers, written .ascsa.edu.gr/archives/Gennadius/ were before they organized into their present archival form, offers a useful Schliemann/SchSophia.htm and http:// introduction to their and contents as well as to their which www.ascsa.edu.gr/archives/Gennadius/ history gaps, he estimated to include to nine travel/excavation diaries and Schliemann/SchFamily.htm). up missing 9.HS&FP, pp. 8-9 (http://www 14 copying books of letters.10 .ascsa.edu.gr/archives/Gennadius/ Since Easton's survey, the Gennadius Library has organized the papers Schliemann/SchProcess.htm). in series according to document type. These include 18 travel diaries (series 10. Easton (1982) reviews Emil 106 boxes over and ac A); containing 34,000 original incoming letters, postcards, Ludwigs Meyer's published counts of the and (series B); 6 folders of letters written Schliemann papers, supplementing telegrams original by them with some 43 volumes of Gennadius Library (series BB); containing copies approximately 25,000 of "oral see 95-99. tradition"; esp. pp. Schliemann's outgoing letters (series BBB); manuscripts of books, articles, 788 STEFANIE A. H. KENNELL speeches, and other handwritten notes (series C); official documents such as passports, citizenship papers, excavation permit applications, and wills as (series D); "economics," including financial documents such receipts, invoices, 38 ledgers, and various banking records (series E); documents relating to Schliemann's Athens properties and coin collection (series F); as miscellaneous items such photos, letters, pamphlets, invitations, notes, and language exercises bound into books (series G); newspaper clippings as (series H); secondary documents such photocopies of legal documents, transcriptions, and material about Schliemann published after