Gertrud Dorka facts for kids

Gertrud Dorka was a smart German woman who lived from 1893 to 1976. She was an archaeologist, which means she studied old things from the past. She also directed a museum and was a teacher. She helped save many ancient treasures after World War II.

Discovering the Past

Her Early Life

Gertrud Dorka was born on March 19, 1893, in a place called Orlau. This area is now known as Orłowo in Poland. Her dad was a teacher, and she decided to become one too.

She became a qualified teacher in 1914. But then, World War I started, and her family moved to Berlin. She taught in schools there, in a part of Berlin called Pankow.

Learning About History

Even while teaching, Gertrud loved to learn more. She started taking classes at the University of Berlin. She studied things like how humans developed (anthropology), history, and really old history (prehistory). She also studied geology, which is about Earth's rocks and soil.

In 1918, she began working with Albert Kiekebusch at the Märkisches Museum. She even got to join in on archaeological digs, which are like treasure hunts for ancient items.

She continued her studies between 1930 and 1936 at the University of Berlin and the University of Kiel. She earned her special degree, called a doctorate, in 1936. Her research was about the town of Pyrzyce.

A Difficult Choice

After finishing her doctorate, Gertrud was offered a job at a museum in Kiel. But there was a condition: she had to join the Nazi Party. Gertrud refused to join. Instead, she went back to working as a teacher.

Saving History After the War

Returning to Berlin

When World War II began, Gertrud Dorka was moved to Zeitz with her school classes for safety. She returned to Berlin in 1946. She started teaching again.

In late 1946, the city of Berlin decided to combine its museums. This was done to save money after the war. Gertrud Dorka became the director of the State Museum for Prehistory and Early History on September 1, 1947.

Finding Lost Treasures

Soon after becoming director, Gertrud began an important mission. Many museums had been destroyed by air raids during the war. She started searching through the rubble for lost artifacts.

She also managed to get back many items from the Märkisches Museum collection. Some museum property had been moved to a place called Lebus during the war. This building was later destroyed and looted by soldiers and local people.

Gertrud was very clever in getting stolen items back. She even bribed local people, especially children, with sweets! She traded the sweets for artifacts. She managed to collect 280 boxes of items. Some of these were even related to the famous archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.

The museum officially opened in 1955. Later, in the late 1950s, her museum joined with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.

Digging in Berlin

During the 1950s, Berlin was still being rebuilt. Gertrud Dorka led many archaeological digs in the city. These excavations took place in areas like Britz, Mariendorf, and Hermsdorf.

Her most important discovery from this time was a grave found in Britz on March 28, 1951. This grave was from the 6th century AD. It held the bones of two young women. It also contained iron tools, bronze buckles, a bone comb, a glass bowl, and a gold coin.

Gertrud Dorka retired as museum director on March 31, 1958.

Later Life and Legacy

After she retired, Gertrud Dorka wrote a book. It was about archaeological discoveries in Neukölln, another part of Berlin.

In 1973, she received a special award called the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. This award recognized her important work.

Gertrud Dorka passed away in Berlin on February 14, 1976. In November 1996, a street in Berlin was named after her, called Gertrud-Dorka-Weg. This was to honor her contributions to archaeology and history.