Grete Mostny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grete Mostny
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Mostny in an unknown date
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| Born | 17 September 1914 |
| Died | 15 December 1991 |
| Nationality | Austrian Chilean |
| Employer | Chilean National Museum of Natural History |
Grete Mostny (born September 17, 1914 – died December 15, 1991) was an amazing scientist who studied ancient cultures. She was born in Austria but had to leave her home because of the Nazis, a political group that caused a lot of trouble in Europe. She finished her studies in Belgium and then moved to Chile. Even though she was invited back to Austria after the war, she chose to become a Chilean citizen. Grete Mostny became a very important anthropologist in Chile. She led many archaeological digs and later became the head of the Chilean National Museum of Natural History.
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Early Life and Studies
Grete Mostny was born in Linz, Austria, in 1914. She started studying at Vienna University. However, she had to leave in 1937. This was because the Nazis were gaining power in Austria. They were a political group that was very unfair to certain people, including Jewish people like Grete.
Grete had already written her main paper about the clothes of ancient Egypt. She had also finished some of her exams. But she had to complete her final studies in Brussels, Belgium, in 1939. Before this, she had already worked on exciting archaeological digs in Egypt, at places like Luxor and Cairo.
Moving to Chile
In 1939, Grete, her brother Kurt, and her mother moved to Chile. Many people from Germany and Austria came to Chile around this time to escape the difficult situation in Europe. There was already a large German community in Chile.
After World War II ended, Grete was invited to return to Austria. But she had found a new home in Chile. In 1946, she decided to become a Chilean citizen.
Archaeological Discoveries
Grete Mostny led many important archaeological investigations in South America. She helped uncover secrets from ancient cultures.
In 1954, she was part of a very special event at her museum. They received something called the Plomo Mummy. This was the body of a child found on a mountain. The child had been part of an ancient Inca ceremony.
Leading the Museum
From 1964 to 1982, Grete Mostny became the director of the Chilean National Museum of Natural History in Santiago. She took over from Humberto Fuenzalida Villegas. Leading such a big museum was a huge achievement!
Her Legacy
Grete Mostny passed away from cancer in Santiago in 1991.
The University of Vienna remembers her as a student who was forced to leave because of the Nazis. To honor her, the university gives a special award called the Grete Mostny Prize. This prize is for excellent student papers in history and cultural studies. It has been given out since 2013. Grete Mostny's own paper is kept in a very unique way: it's stored in a salt mine in Hallstatt in a ceramic form!
Selected Works
Grete Mostny wrote many books and papers about her work. Here are some of them:
- Culturas precolombinas de Chile (Pre-Columbian Cultures of Chile), 1954
- Peine, un pueblo atacameño (Peine, an Atacama Village), 1954
- Los museos de Chile (The Museums of Chile), 1975
- Prehistoria de Chile (Prehistory of Chile), 1971
- Arte rupestre chileno (Chilean Rock Art), 1983
See also
In Spanish: Grete Mostny para niños
