André Schürger
State Office of Heritage Management Archaeology
Saxony-Anhalt
Martin-Luther University of Halle 0049
(0)341 2253608
andre.schuerger@gmx.de
Degrees and Qualifications
M.A. University of Cologne: Archaeology of the Roman Provinces, Modern and Medieval History, Ancient History
Research Abstract
The Archaeology of the Battle of Lützen: An examination of 17th century military material culture
In 2006, a project started to investigate the battlefield of Lützen, where the Imperial and the Swedish armies met on 16th of November 1632 to one of the longest and bloodiest battles of the Thirty Years War. From the outset, complete areas of the battlefield were searched systematically meter by meter using metal detectors. With the total of 1,000,000 m² (one third of the known battlefield) and 10,000 finds Lützen recovered thus far already makes this the biggest of battlefield archaeology project in Europe. This approach produces a very dense distribution of artefacts which provides more detailed information than has hitherto been the case in battlefield archaeology projects, where surveys are usually limited to a sample of the total area. The main aim of the PhD is to reconstruct the events of the battle in as much detail as possible, through the analysis of material culture and all other available sources: geophysical surveys, excavations, written sources and historical maps and copperplates. Also, the methods and results will be compared to other projects of battlefield archaeology of the 17th century. A further aim will be place the battle in its social and geographical context by considering the production and circulation of artefacts and comparing them with other assemblages.
Battlefield and Conflict Related Publications:
Bleikugeln vom Schlachtfeld Lützen 1632 – Überlegungen zu Bewaffnung und Schlachtverlauf. In: M. Reichel, I. Schuberth (Hrsg.), Gustav Adolf. König von Schweden. Die Kraft der Erinnerung 1632-2007 (Dößel 2007) p. 71-80
Die Schlacht von Lützen – Stumme Zeugen einer blutigen Schlacht. In: Archäologie in Deutschland 1/2009, p. 22-25
Die Schlacht von Lützen 1632: Archäologische Untersuchungen auf dem linken kaiserlichen Flügel. In: H. Meller (Hrsg.), Schlachtfeldarchäologie. 1. Mitteldeutscher Archäologentag vom 09. bis 11. Oktober 2008 in Halle (Saale) (Halle 2009) p. 135-
149
Das 1. Internationale Treffen der Schlachtfeldarchäologen in Lützen (27.09.-04.10.2009). In: Archäologie in Sachsen-Anhalt vol. 7 (in press)
Die ersten Minuten der Schlacht von Lützen (16.11.1632): Isolanis Kroaten und Stalhandskes finnische Reiter aus archäologischer Sicht. In: Lützener Gespräche vol. 3 (in press)
Other Experience
2006-2011 Director of the science project “Battlefield Archaeologie Lützen”
1999-2006 Director of 16 different Archaeological Excavations in Germany and Austria