Georg Ebers’ Professorenromane und die frühe Ägyptologie

Georg Ebers’ real or supposed popularity based on a historical novel about ancient Egypt contributed to the establishment of Egyptological university chairs in Germany. The article points out why the novel was popular and sheds light on the aforesaid process. It then focusses on Ebers’ twofold de-popularisation. On the one hand, the literary ›popular‹ aspects of the novel are not suitable for canonisation. On the other hand, Ebers’ student Adolf Erman contributes to the final differentiation and specialisation of Egyptology by ›closing‹ it and cutting off the popular aspects of the subject, including Ebers.