Lyric has always been a means of expressing a sense of life and the world. However, it was particularly in the decades before and after 1900 that classical archaeologists published their verses with remarkable frequency. Through their works, one can experience professionals as individuals and encounter poetry that is both impressive and resonant, as well as more mundane; this also opens up a broad panorama of lyric and archaeology. Archaeological lyricists include excavators and building researchers, as well as authors who investigate art and cultural history, some of whom have ventured beyond their field and worked in entirely different areas - not least as screenwriters for "The Blue Angel," which marked the beginning of Marlene Dietrich's career. There is much to discover.

Prof. Dr. Matthias Steinhart is a classical archaeologist and teaches at the University of Würzburg; he is a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences.