Portrait of Harald Meller: Architect of the Success of Saxon Archaeology

Harald Meller, who assumed the position of State Archaeologist of Saxony-Anhalt on March 1, 2001, stands on the threshold of concluding his groundbreaking career. At that time, he took over the Landesmuseum für Vorgeschichte in Halle in a state of deep decline. The permanent exhibition was dismantled, the building urgently required renovation, and the most valuable finds, including the famous 'Nebra Sky Disc,' were stored in provisional conditions – under ceilings or in barns scattered across the country. There was no central storage facility, modern conservation workshop, or basic digitization. The very existence of the museum was in question. Today, a quarter of a century later, the institution is an international scientific center with an established reputation. Meller, called the 'architect of the archaeological revival,' achieved this transformation through a combination of vision and concrete actions. His first decision was to organize the 2001 exhibition 'Schönheit, Macht und Tod' ('Beauty, Power and Death') to mark the museum's 120th anniversary, signaling that the institution had a future. The real breakthrough, however, came in 2002 when the stolen 'Nebra Sky Disc' – a unique Bronze Age disc considered the oldest known depiction of the cosmos – was recovered following a sting operation in Basel. The Nebra Sky Disc, dated to around 1600 BC, was discovered illegally by treasure hunters in 1999 in a forest near Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt. Its scientific significance and artistic value are comparable to Britain's Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids, making it one of the most important European archaeological finds of the 20th century. This artifact became a global sensation and a magnet attracting tourists and researchers from around the world to Halle. Under Meller's leadership, archaeology in Saxony-Anhalt flourished. As Prof. Carola Metzner-Nebelsick from the University of Munich emphasizes, Meller 'sought to answer open questions about the prehistory and early history of Saxony-Anhalt through targeted excavations and research.' Today, knowledge about the beginnings of settlement in the area up to the Middle Ages is incomparably richer. The archaeologist himself, now 65, is preparing to close his professional chapter, planning his last major exhibition for 2029. This is a moment to summarize his achievements, which not only saved and brought fame to one museum but also established the entire region as one of Europe's leading archaeological 'hotspots.'