Leo Aryeh Mayer
Encyclopedia
Leo Aryeh Mayer was an Israeli scholar of Islamic art
and rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
.
, Galicia, then in Austria-Hungary
(now renamed Ivano-Frankivsk
in Ukraine
), to an eminent rabbinical hasidic
family. In 1913, he went to study Eastern Art at the University of Vienna
, specializing in the Muslim East and its cultural history, and also studied at the University of Lausanne
and the University of Berlin. He was awarded a doctorate by the University of Vienna in 1917 for an unpublished thesis on town planning in Islam. While in Vienna, he also trained in the Jewish Theological Seminary in Vienna, and began to operate within the Zionist "Hashomer" movement (later to became the Hashomer Hatzair
).
In 1917, Mayer finished his studies and began teaching and working as an assistant librarian at the Institute of Oriental. In 1919, he returned to his hometown and started teaching in high school. However, due to the turmoil that followed the First World War (Stanisławów was fought over, and occupied at different time, by the forces of Poland
, the West Ukrainian National Republic, Romania
, the Ukrainian separatist forces
and the Red Army
, before it was finally incorporated into Poland until 1939), Meyer moved to Berlin
and was employed in the oriental department of city's state library.
Mayer emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1921 and began working the Department of Antiquities of the government of the British Mandate, as an inspector until 1929, and from 1929 to 1933 as Director of the Archives. After leaving the department, he was given the honourary appointment as a supervisor at the new Government museum in Jerusalem.
In the meantime, in 1925, Meyer had joined the first staff of the Institute of Jewish Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, and was appointed Lecturer in Islamic Art and Archaeology in 1929. In 1932, he was promoted to full professor, becoming the first Sir David Sassoon Professor of Near Eastern Art and Archaeology and served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and as Rector of the university from 1943 to 1945.
Mayer also worked jointly with Eleazar Sukenik, in connection with the excavations of the "Third Wall" of Jerusalem, built by in 41-44 CE, Agrippa, king of Judea
, in 41-44 CE.
From 1940 to 1950, Mayer served as president of the Israel Exploration Society
and was honourary president of the Israel Oriental Society. He was also elected a member of government Archaeological Council, a member of the Land of Israel Folklore Society, a member of Association of Archaeologists in London and an honorary member of American Heraldry Society
.
Islamic art
Islamic art encompasses the visual arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people who lived within the territory that was inhabited by or ruled by culturally Islamic populations...
and rector of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
.
Biography
Mayer was born in 1895 in the city of StanisławówIvano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
, Galicia, then in Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
(now renamed Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk
Ivano-Frankivsk is a historic city located in the western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast , and is designated as its own separate raion within the oblast, municipality....
in Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
), to an eminent rabbinical hasidic
Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism, from the Hebrew —Ḥasidut in Sephardi, Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" , is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith...
family. In 1913, he went to study Eastern Art at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, specializing in the Muslim East and its cultural history, and also studied at the University of Lausanne
University of Lausanne
The University of Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland was founded in 1537 as a school of theology, before being made a university in 1890. Today about 12,000 students and 2200 researchers study and work at the university...
and the University of Berlin. He was awarded a doctorate by the University of Vienna in 1917 for an unpublished thesis on town planning in Islam. While in Vienna, he also trained in the Jewish Theological Seminary in Vienna, and began to operate within the Zionist "Hashomer" movement (later to became the Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair
Hashomer Hatzair is a Socialist–Zionist youth movement founded in 1913 in Galicia, Austria-Hungary, and was also the name of the group's political party in the Yishuv in the pre-1948 British Mandate of Palestine...
).
In 1917, Mayer finished his studies and began teaching and working as an assistant librarian at the Institute of Oriental. In 1919, he returned to his hometown and started teaching in high school. However, due to the turmoil that followed the First World War (Stanisławów was fought over, and occupied at different time, by the forces of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the West Ukrainian National Republic, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
, the Ukrainian separatist forces
Ukrainian People's Republic
The Ukrainian People's Republic or Ukrainian National Republic was a republic that was declared in part of the territory of modern Ukraine after the Russian Revolution, eventually headed by Symon Petliura.-Revolutionary Wave:...
and the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, before it was finally incorporated into Poland until 1939), Meyer moved to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and was employed in the oriental department of city's state library.
Mayer emigrated to Mandate Palestine in 1921 and began working the Department of Antiquities of the government of the British Mandate, as an inspector until 1929, and from 1929 to 1933 as Director of the Archives. After leaving the department, he was given the honourary appointment as a supervisor at the new Government museum in Jerusalem.
In the meantime, in 1925, Meyer had joined the first staff of the Institute of Jewish Studies of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, and was appointed Lecturer in Islamic Art and Archaeology in 1929. In 1932, he was promoted to full professor, becoming the first Sir David Sassoon Professor of Near Eastern Art and Archaeology and served as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and as Rector of the university from 1943 to 1945.
Mayer also worked jointly with Eleazar Sukenik, in connection with the excavations of the "Third Wall" of Jerusalem, built by in 41-44 CE, Agrippa, king of Judea
Judea
Judea or Judæa was the name of the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel from the 8th century BCE to the 2nd century CE, when Roman Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina following the Jewish Bar Kokhba revolt.-Etymology:The...
, in 41-44 CE.
From 1940 to 1950, Mayer served as president of the Israel Exploration Society
Israel Exploration Society
The Israel Exploration Society was founded in 1914 as the Society for the Reclamation of Antiquities, then renamed the Jewish Palestine Exploration Society...
and was honourary president of the Israel Oriental Society. He was also elected a member of government Archaeological Council, a member of the Land of Israel Folklore Society, a member of Association of Archaeologists in London and an honorary member of American Heraldry Society
American Heraldry Society
The American Heraldry Society is a learned society that promotes the study of heraldry and education of U.S. citizens about heraldry. The organization also advocates the development of a distinctly American heraldic tradition and encourages the legal protection of armorial bearings in the U.S. The...
.
Awards and honours
- In 1948, Mayer was made an MBEOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
by King George VI - In 1958, he was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, in the humanitiesHumanitiesThe humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
. - The L.A. Mayer Institute for Islamic Art in Jerusalem, established in 1974, was founded in his memory.
Published works (partial)
- Excavations at the Third Wall of Jerusalem's Old City, 1930 (jointly with A.L. Sukenik)
- Saracenic heraldry, Oxford, 1933
- Beginning and rise of Islamic Archeology, 1935
- Annual bibliography of Islamic art and archaeology :India excepted, 1935
- new Material for Mamaluk Heraldry, Jerusalem, 1937
- articles in Ars Islamica, 1936-7
- Bibliography of Islamic numismatics, Royal Asiatic Society, 1939, 1954
- Mamaluk costume, 1952
- Religious buildings of the Muslims in Israel, 1950 (jointly with Jacob Pinkerfeld and Yigael YadinYigael YadinYigael Yadin on 21 March 1917, died 28 June 1984) was an Israeli archeologist, politician, and the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces.-Early life and military career:...
) - L’art juif en terre de l’Islam, 1959
- Bibliography of Jewish Art