Kurt Bittel

Kurt Bittel (born 5 July 1907 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, died 30 January 1991 in Heidenheim an der Brenz) was a German prehistorian. As president of the German Archaeological Institute (Deutsches Archäologisches Institut - DAI) and excavator of the Hittite city of Hattusha in Turkey, as well as an expert on the Celts in Central Europe, he acquired great merit.

Decorations and awards State awards Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1955) Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts (Member, 1967; Chancellor of the Order 1971–1979; 3rd Vice-Chancellor from 1979 to 1980; 2nd Vice-Chancellor 1980–1984) Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (1978) Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg (1982) Grand Cross of Merit with Star and Sash of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1984)

Memberships Honorary member of the İstanbul Enstitüsü (1955), Turkish Historical Society (Türk Tarih Kurumu; Ankara, 1959), Royal Irish Academy (Dublin, 1965), Société de Yougoslavie Archéologique (Arheološko Društvo Jugoslavije, Belgrade, 1966), German-Turkish Association (Bonn, 1970), Society for Pre- and Early History in Württemberg and Hohenzollern (Gesellschaft für Archäologie in Württemberg und Hohenzollern) (1977), Honorary Member of the German Archaeological Institute (1982) Honorary Corresponding Member of The Prehistoric Society (Oxford, 1956) Honorary Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (1965) Foreign Honorary Member of the Archaeological Institute of America (New York, 1967), American Academy of Arts and Sciences (Boston, Massachusetts, 1980), and the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1984).

Other Honorary Citizen of the city of Heidenheim (1967) Honorary doctorates from the University of Istanbul (1969), Anadolu University (Anadolu Üniversitesi) (Eskişehir, Turkey; 1990)