The Institute of Classical Studies Library, our neighbours in Senate House, has mounted a small exhibition on Dr Victor Ehrenberg on the third-floor landing. ‘Catalogue of My Antiques: the Story of Victor Ehrenberg’s Collection’ offers a fascinating opportunity to explore the life and work of a German-Jewish refugee scholar.
Ehrenberg was born into a prominent Jewish family in Hamburg and studied Classics at the universities of Göttingen and Berlin before serving in the First World War. He completed his habilitation in Frankfurt in 1922 and was appointed Professor of Ancient History at the German University of Prague in 1929. In 1939, he fled the impending German invasion and settled in England, where he was able to resume his academic career with the support of the Academic Assistance Council.
Greek history was Ehrenberg’s principal field of study and, during his travels around Greece, a country he first visited in 1925, he amassed a large collection of artefacts. He carefully catalogued these items and bequeathed them to the Institute of Classical Studies upon his death. Objects from the collection, including pottery shards and metal fragments, are displayed alongside Ehrenberg’s books and personal papers.
Library Assistant Amelia Andrews, who has set up the exhibition said: “I’ve had a great time putting the exhibition together. It has been interesting going through the materials that Victor Ehrenberg donated to the Institute and learning more about how he collected his ancient artefacts. I hope I have represented the story well – there’s so much more I could have included”.
The display serves as a reminder of the many refugee academics whose contributions have left a lasting mark on the University of London and beyond.
