Dümichen was born near
Glogau. He studied
philology and
theology in
Berlin and
Breslau. Subsequently, he became a pupil of
Karl Lepsius and
Heinrich Brugsch, and devoted himself to the study of Egyptian inscriptions. He travelled widely in
Egypt, and published his results in a number of important books.[1]
He was tasked by the
Prussian government to explore the
Nile Valley in 1862 and 1868. On the first expedition (1862–65), along with investigations of the Nile Valley in Egypt, he also conducted extensive research in
Nubia and the
Sudan. In 1869 he accompanied the Prussian
Crown Prince to Egypt on the occasion of the opening of the
Suez Canal. On his fourth trip to Egypt (1875), he studied the inscriptions of the largest private tomb in the
Theban Necropolis.[2]
In 1872 he was chosen professor of Egyptology at
Strasbourg,[4] where a new chair was created to compete with the famous chair of Egyptology at the
Collège de France.[5]
Works
The value of his work consists not only in the stores of material which he collected, but also in the success with which he dealt with many of the problems raised by the inscriptions.[1] Among his works are:
Altägypt. Tempelinschriften (2 vols., 1867) – Ancient Egypt, temple inscriptions.
Historische Inschriften altägypt. Denkmäler (2 vols., 1867–1869) – Historical inscriptions of ancient Egyptian monuments.
Die kalendarischen Opferfestlisten von Medinet-Habu (1881) – The calendar on the Festival of Sacrifice in the
Temple of Medinet Habu.
Die Oasen der libyschen Wüste. Straßburg (1877) – The oases of the
Libyan Desert.
Geschichte des alten Aegypten (1879) – History of ancient Egypt.
Der Grabpalast des Patuamenap in der thebanischen Nekropolis (1884–1894). The grave palace of
Pediamenopet in the
Theban Necropolis.
Band 1: Inschriften über Titel und Würden der Verstorbenen und Verzeichnis der alljährlichen Todtenfesttage. Leipzig 1884 UB Heidelberg.
Band 2: Darstellungen und Inschriften der Zimmer V, IV, III. Leipzig 1885 UB Heidelberg.
Band 3. Leipzig 1894 UB Heidelberg.
The last work, originally intended to comprise six volumes, was left unfinished at Dümichen's death. Part 3 was published after his death by
Wilhelm Spiegelberg.[6]
^Fr. COLIN, « Comment la création d’une ‘bibliothèque de papyrus’ à Strasbourg compensa la perte des manuscrits précieux brûlés dans le siège de 1870 », La revue de la BNU, 2, 2010, p. 24-47.
^WorldCat Title Der grabpalast des Patuamenap in der thebanischen nekropolis, etc.