Professor Wolfhart Westendorf (1924-2018)

On February 23, 2018, the long-term director of our Institute, Prof. Wolfhart Westendorf, has passed away at the age of 93. A student of Hermann Grapow in Berlin, he became, after his PhD (1951) und "Habilitation" (1961), first lecturer, then associate professor in Munich. In 1967 he was appointed to the chair of Egyptology in Göttingen. Here he directed the institute until his retirement in 1989, shaping the field of Egyptology in a period of fundamental change.
Wolfhart Westendorf's countless publications, which focus on the Egyptian-Coptic language, Egyptian literature and religion, have opened new perspectives to the entire field. As an academic teacher, he has inspired and supported several generations of younger scholars with his enthusiasm, immense knowledge and openness for new research approaches.

Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time.