DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.14547#0014
with fun and soften with deep kindness; but they had a dan-
gerous way of seeing through sham and humbug of any kind.
Always ready to appreciate honest effort, he never let exter-
nals dazzle him. He had the fine modesty of a man who knew
his own profession so thoroughly that he could afford to
acknowledge his limitations; but he would brush away any
shoddy pretence with a quick finality of gesture. During ten
years of pleasant association, serious business conferences and
desultory talks, I learned increasingly to appreciate his ster-
ling straightforwardness, his acute intelligence and warm-
hearted sympathy with any genuine endeavor. I shall never
forget our last meeting at Nauheim, the friendly solicitude of
his farewell at the station—just four months before his un-
timely death, on November 30, 1936.
Naturally we were eager, in 1926, to find out how Mr.
Oberlaender wished to have his grant used. With charac-
teristic consideration and a total absence of vanity, he left the
choice to those who were to do the work. He cordially ap-
proved our wish to continue the excavation of the most im-
portant cemetery of Athens in the Kerameikos. Here the
Greek Archaeological Society had begun one of its earliest
investigations, in 1863, and carried it on, intermittently, for
many years, both alone and in collaboration with the German
Archaeological Institute. Hampered and interrupted more
than once by lack of funds, exploration on a larger scale had
been resumed from 1913 to 1916 (see the Bibliography on
P. 43) by Alfred Brueckner and Hubert Knackfuss. Both
were gladly ready to carry on their work, abandoned for ten
years very much against their will. A new period of exca-
vation began in January 1927, and continued steadily down to
1940. Nearly every year we had the joy of welcoming Mr.
Oberlaender to Athens. Sometimes the results of the year's
campaign were rather meagre; but he was never disappointed,
never suggested more rapid methods of work. He had the
true appreciation for scientific research.
His deep love for art in all its forms had led him to build
up a Museum in his own home at Reading. But he was far
gerous way of seeing through sham and humbug of any kind.
Always ready to appreciate honest effort, he never let exter-
nals dazzle him. He had the fine modesty of a man who knew
his own profession so thoroughly that he could afford to
acknowledge his limitations; but he would brush away any
shoddy pretence with a quick finality of gesture. During ten
years of pleasant association, serious business conferences and
desultory talks, I learned increasingly to appreciate his ster-
ling straightforwardness, his acute intelligence and warm-
hearted sympathy with any genuine endeavor. I shall never
forget our last meeting at Nauheim, the friendly solicitude of
his farewell at the station—just four months before his un-
timely death, on November 30, 1936.
Naturally we were eager, in 1926, to find out how Mr.
Oberlaender wished to have his grant used. With charac-
teristic consideration and a total absence of vanity, he left the
choice to those who were to do the work. He cordially ap-
proved our wish to continue the excavation of the most im-
portant cemetery of Athens in the Kerameikos. Here the
Greek Archaeological Society had begun one of its earliest
investigations, in 1863, and carried it on, intermittently, for
many years, both alone and in collaboration with the German
Archaeological Institute. Hampered and interrupted more
than once by lack of funds, exploration on a larger scale had
been resumed from 1913 to 1916 (see the Bibliography on
P. 43) by Alfred Brueckner and Hubert Knackfuss. Both
were gladly ready to carry on their work, abandoned for ten
years very much against their will. A new period of exca-
vation began in January 1927, and continued steadily down to
1940. Nearly every year we had the joy of welcoming Mr.
Oberlaender to Athens. Sometimes the results of the year's
campaign were rather meagre; but he was never disappointed,
never suggested more rapid methods of work. He had the
true appreciation for scientific research.
His deep love for art in all its forms had led him to build
up a Museum in his own home at Reading. But he was far