Though in-depth studies into the history of Egyptology have existed for the past 200 years, they continue to remain popular today. By assessing extensive materials from German and European archives, Thomas Gertzen sheds light on the significance of the Berlin School of Egyptology and its founder, Adolf Erman (1854 1937). He also examines its importance for later generations inside and outside Germany, providing an important historical study of a discipline and its institutions."