Kern, Otto, 1863-1942

Otto Ferdinand Georg Kern (14 February 1863 in Schulpforte (now part of Bad Kösen) – 31 January 1942 in Halle an der Saale) was a German classical philologist, archaeologist and epigraphist. He specialized in the field of ancient Greek religion, being known for his investigations of Greek mystery cults and Orphism, as well as the ancient city of Magnesia on the Maeander and later also the history of ancient studies. In 1907 he became professor at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, where he became rector in 1915-16.

Otto Kern was born near Naumburg an der Saale. His father Franz Kern was a senior teacher at the Pforta State School at the time, and later became the school's headmaster. Otto's mother was the 14 years younger Clara Kern, born Runge. His father introduced him at an early age to the Greeks and to German literature, especially Goethe. In Stettin, Otto Kern attended grammar school, where his religion teacher Anton Jonas introduced him to the history of religion. From 1883 to 1887 he studied classical philology and archaeology at the universities of Berlin and Göttingen. His lecturers there were renowned scientists such as Ernst Curtius, Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff as well as Hermann Diels and Carl Robert, whose lives he later examined in a biography. Kern received his doctorate on 21 January 1888 in Berlin with his dissertation De Orphei Epimenidis Pherecydis theogoniis quaestiones criticae. After his doctorate he worked in Berlin as assistant to Carl Robert until 1889.

...