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Born in Berlin in 1928, he began working at the Museum of Prehistory and Early History after completing his doctorate at the University of Bonn, initially as a trainee, and was eventually appointed director in 1967.

He quickly recognised where opportunities could arise for the museum in the difficult situation in West Berlin. He intensively sought contact with colleagues in Poland and in what was then Czechoslovakia. In 1967, he opened the exhibition "Great Moravia. A Sunken Slavic Empire", a masterstroke in a difficult political environment. Several exhibitions with institutions in Poland followed and drew attention to the museum in the Langhansbau at Charlottenburg Palace far beyond West Berlin.

As a second pillar of the museum, he single-mindedly expanded the networking of the museum and state archaeology. As a state archaeologist, he himself led important excavations, in particular the excavation of the castle rampart in Spandau. He focussed in particular on Berlin-Spandau, where he was able to research Slavic evidence and the medieval development of the region. He always focussed on communicating his findings to the public. He enjoyed presenting his excavations on television, gave interviews and wrote popular books on Berlin archaeology, which are still widely read today and were also the subject of his exhibitions. The museum education programme he so strongly promoted was regarded as exemplary far beyond Berlin.

Berliners will also remember him as the founder and initiator of the museum village in Düppel, which he pushed through with his persuasiveness and tenacity. It set standards in experimental archaeology then and now.

Adriaan von Müller shaped the Museum of Prehistory and Early History in West Berlin and developed very viable concepts for this special situation. This era came to an end with the end of his term of office in spring 1990.

Hermann Parzinger, President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation: "We will gratefully remember Adriaan von Müller as a clever scholar, a gifted communicator and a cheerful colleague who was devoted to his fellow human beings. Our sympathy goes out to his family."

Michael Eissenhauer, Director General of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin: "The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin are deeply indebted to Adriaan von Müller. With his dedicated commitment to the Museum of Prehistory and Early History and his outstanding work as a state archaeologist, he has rendered great services. The fact that Adriaan von Müller was always particularly committed to educational and mediation work was exemplary at the time and cannot be overestimated."

Matthias Wemhoff, Director of the Museum of Prehistory and Early History of the National Museums in Berlin: "Adriaan von Müller's work continues to characterise the Museum of Prehistory and Early History to this day. He has strengthened the intensive connection to archaeology in Berlin and set standards in cooperation with museums in Eastern Europe."

Press photo:
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