1964 – 2005

The Institute’s locations in Amman and Jerusalem

Under the charge of Kurt Galling and Arnulf Kuschke the first archaeological course after the war took place in 1953. Ten years later the Evangelical Church of Germany decided to reestablish the Institute in Jerusalem.

In Sheikh Jarrah, then part of Jordanian Jerusalem, a house was leased, in which Prof. Dr. Martin Noth in 1964 started his work as director, while Dr. Ute Lux helped him as his assistant. In spring 1966 the first excavations of the Institute began in Madaba, in the so called al-Khader-Church. A year later the Apostle-Church was explored. After Prof. Noth’s sudden death in 1968 Dr. Ute Lux was in charge. Since the borders changed after 1967, the Institute was now located in Israel. Thus a new branch was opened in Amman, in order to undertake the excavations in Gadara (Umm Qais) more effectively.

The Institute in Jerusalem

In 1982 the Institute in Jerusalem moved to a new home on the Augusta-Victoria-Compound on the Mount of Olives. From 1984 to 1992 Prof. Dr. August Strobel worked here as director, who explored extensively the eastern shores of the Dead Sea and Kallirhoe. In 1993/94 Dr. Gunnar Lehmann was director for a short period. His successor Prof. Dr. Volkmar Fritz (1994–99) resumed his excavations in Kinneret (Tall al-Oraime). After him Dr. Hanswulf Bloedhorn was director from 1999 to 2004.

From August 2004 until 2005 PD Dr. Michael Heinzelmann was in charge of the Institute. In November 2005 Prof. Dr. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dieter Vieweger was appointed director of the Institutes in Jerusalem and Amman. Simultaneously he is director of the Biblical-Archaeological Institute at the University of Wuppertal, Professor at the Theological University Wuppertal as well as Research Professor at the Private University Witten-Herdecke.

The Institute in Amman

The Institute in Amman was headed from 1982 to 1986 by Dr. Ernst Axel Knauf, from 1986 to 1991 by Dr. Thomas Weber, from 1991 to 1996 by Susanne Kerner, from 1996 to 2001 by Dr. Hans-Dieter Bienert and from 2001 to 2004 by Dr. Roland Lamprichs. Between 2004 and 2012 Dr. Jutta Häser was in charge of the Institute. She was succeded by Dr. Frauke Kenkel between October 2013 and September 2016. Since October 2016 Dr. Katharina Schmidt holds the ofice of director.