Robert Koldewey

Born in Blankenburg in 1855, Robert Koldewey studied architecture, archaeology, and art history before moving into fieldwork. Early excavations at Assos and other sites helped build the practical skills that would define his career, especially his talent for reading and recording ancient structures.

He is most closely linked with the excavation of Babylon in present-day Iraq, which he directed from 1899 to 1917. That long campaign made him one of the key figures in the archaeology of the ancient Near East, and his work is widely associated with major finds connected to the city's walls, palaces, and the Ishtar Gate.

Koldewey died in Berlin in 1925. He is remembered not only for what he discovered, but also for bringing an architect's eye to archaeology, combining excavation with careful measurement and reconstruction.