HISTORIAN
Walter Burkert
1931 - 2015

Walter Burkert
Walter Burkert (German: [ˈbʊɐ̯kɐt]; 2 February 1931 – 11 March 2015) was a German scholar of Greek mythology and cult. A professor of classics at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, he taught in the UK and the US. He has influenced generations of students of religion since the 1960s, combining in the modern way the findings of archaeology and epigraphy with the work of poets, historians, and philosophers. He was a member of both the American Philosophical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He published books on the balance between lore and science among the followers of Pythagoras, and more extensively on ritual and archaic cult survival, on the ritual killing at the heart of religion, on mystery religions, and on the reception in the Hellenic world of Near Eastern and Persian culture, which sets Greek religion in its wider Aegean and Near Eastern context. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Walter Burkert is the 320th most popular historian (up from 335th in 2019), the 3,780th most popular biography from Germany (up from 3,966th in 2019) and the 38th most popular German Historian.
Memorability Metrics
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Among HISTORIANS
Among historians, Walter Burkert ranks 320 out of 561. Before him are Jacob Theodor Klein, ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni, Pierre Vidal-Naquet, Christopher Hill, Malchus, and Ludwig von Pastor. After him are Ziya Bunyadov, Max Jakob Friedländer, Ibn 'Idhari, Georg Gottfried Gervinus, Edwin O. Reischauer, and Stepanos Asoghik.
Most Popular Historians in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJacob Theodor Klein
1685 - 1759
HPI: 58.83
Rank: 314
ʽAbd al-Qadir Badayuni
1540 - 1615
HPI: 58.82
Rank: 315
Pierre Vidal-Naquet
1930 - 2006
HPI: 58.82
Rank: 316
Christopher Hill
1912 - 2003
HPI: 58.74
Rank: 317
Malchus
450 - Present
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 318
Ludwig von Pastor
1854 - 1928
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 319
Walter Burkert
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 320
Ziya Bunyadov
1921 - 1997
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 321
Max Jakob Friedländer
1867 - 1958
HPI: 58.62
Rank: 322
Ibn 'Idhari
1300 - 1299
HPI: 58.59
Rank: 323
Georg Gottfried Gervinus
1805 - 1871
HPI: 58.59
Rank: 324
Edwin O. Reischauer
1910 - 1990
HPI: 58.57
Rank: 325
Stepanos Asoghik
1000 - 1100
HPI: 58.56
Rank: 326
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1931, Walter Burkert ranks 275. Before him are Ram Dass, Ibrahim Biogradlić, Mustafa Dağıstanlı, Alex Soler-Roig, Bridget Riley, and Lowell Weicker. After him are Moira Orfei, Joseph Joffo, Peter Armbruster, André Noyelle, Donald Barthelme, and Hennadiy Udovenko. Among people deceased in 2015, Walter Burkert ranks 221. Before him are Peter Dickinson, Qiao Shi, Ibrahim Biogradlić, Hot Rod Hundley, Ninón Sevilla, and Xu Caihou. After him are Charb, Moira Orfei, Michael Graves, Fred Thompson, Jean-Claude Turcotte, and Corneliu Vadim Tudor.
Others Born in 1931
Go to all RankingsRam Dass
PHILOSOPHER
1931 - 2019
HPI: 58.80
Rank: 269
Ibrahim Biogradlić
SOCCER PLAYER
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.75
Rank: 270
Mustafa Dağıstanlı
WRESTLER
1931 - 2022
HPI: 58.74
Rank: 271
Alex Soler-Roig
RACING DRIVER
1931 - Present
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 272
Bridget Riley
PAINTER
1931 - Present
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 273
Lowell Weicker
POLITICIAN
1931 - 2023
HPI: 58.71
Rank: 274
Walter Burkert
HISTORIAN
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 275
Moira Orfei
ACTOR
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 276
Joseph Joffo
WRITER
1931 - 2018
HPI: 58.59
Rank: 277
Peter Armbruster
CHEMIST
1931 - 2024
HPI: 58.58
Rank: 278
André Noyelle
CYCLIST
1931 - 2003
HPI: 58.58
Rank: 279
Donald Barthelme
WRITER
1931 - 1989
HPI: 58.52
Rank: 280
Hennadiy Udovenko
POLITICIAN
1931 - 2013
HPI: 58.52
Rank: 281
Others Deceased in 2015
Go to all RankingsPeter Dickinson
WRITER
1927 - 2015
HPI: 58.78
Rank: 215
Qiao Shi
POLITICIAN
1924 - 2015
HPI: 58.76
Rank: 216
Ibrahim Biogradlić
SOCCER PLAYER
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.75
Rank: 217
Hot Rod Hundley
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1934 - 2015
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 218
Ninón Sevilla
ACTOR
1929 - 2015
HPI: 58.70
Rank: 219
Xu Caihou
POLITICIAN
1943 - 2015
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 220
Walter Burkert
HISTORIAN
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 221
Charb
PAINTER
1967 - 2015
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 222
Moira Orfei
ACTOR
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.60
Rank: 223
Michael Graves
ARCHITECT
1934 - 2015
HPI: 58.56
Rank: 224
Fred Thompson
POLITICIAN
1942 - 2015
HPI: 58.55
Rank: 225
Jean-Claude Turcotte
RELIGIOUS FIGURE
1936 - 2015
HPI: 58.54
Rank: 226
Corneliu Vadim Tudor
POLITICIAN
1949 - 2015
HPI: 58.54
Rank: 227
In Germany
Among people born in Germany, Walter Burkert ranks 3,782 out of 7,253. Before him are Princess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel (1804), Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau (1738), Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser (1540), Maximilian von Montgelas (1759), Franz Xaver Gabelsberger (1789), and Philipp Nicolai (1556). After him are Rudi Glöckner (1929), Fritz Manteuffel (1875), Hermann Prey (1929), Gerhard Marcks (1889), Sophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach (1705), and Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim (1198).
Others born in Germany
Go to all RankingsPrincess Marie Frederica of Hesse-Kassel
POLITICIAN
1804 - 1888
HPI: 58.69
Rank: 3,776
Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau
POLITICIAN
1738 - 1816
HPI: 58.69
Rank: 3,777
Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser
EXPLORER
1540 - Present
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 3,778
Maximilian von Montgelas
POLITICIAN
1759 - 1838
HPI: 58.68
Rank: 3,779
Franz Xaver Gabelsberger
INVENTOR
1789 - 1849
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 3,780
Philipp Nicolai
WRITER
1556 - 1608
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 3,781
Walter Burkert
HISTORIAN
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 3,782
Rudi Glöckner
REFEREE
1929 - 1999
HPI: 58.66
Rank: 3,783
Fritz Manteuffel
POLITICIAN
1875 - 1941
HPI: 58.65
Rank: 3,784
Hermann Prey
SINGER
1929 - 1998
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 3,785
Gerhard Marcks
SCULPTOR
1889 - 1981
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 3,786
Sophie Caroline of Brandenburg-Kulmbach
COMPANION
1705 - 1764
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 3,787
Heinrich Walpot von Bassenheim
POLITICIAN
1198 - 1200
HPI: 58.64
Rank: 3,788
Among HISTORIANS In Germany
Among historians born in Germany, Walter Burkert ranks 38. Before him are Gustav Hugo (1764), Gerhard Friedrich Müller (1705), Abraham Geiger (1810), Wilhelm von Bode (1845), Ubbo Emmius (1547), and Ludwig von Pastor (1854). After him are Max Jakob Friedländer (1867), Georg Gottfried Gervinus (1805), Johann Gottfried Eichhorn (1752), Arno Peters (1916), Kurt Aland (1915), and Franz Babinger (1891).
Gustav Hugo
1764 - 1844
HPI: 59.78
Rank: 32
Gerhard Friedrich Müller
1705 - 1783
HPI: 59.73
Rank: 33
Abraham Geiger
1810 - 1874
HPI: 59.50
Rank: 34
Wilhelm von Bode
1845 - 1929
HPI: 59.43
Rank: 35
Ubbo Emmius
1547 - 1625
HPI: 59.16
Rank: 36
Ludwig von Pastor
1854 - 1928
HPI: 58.73
Rank: 37
Walter Burkert
1931 - 2015
HPI: 58.67
Rank: 38
Max Jakob Friedländer
1867 - 1958
HPI: 58.62
Rank: 39
Georg Gottfried Gervinus
1805 - 1871
HPI: 58.59
Rank: 40
Johann Gottfried Eichhorn
1752 - 1827
HPI: 58.55
Rank: 41
Arno Peters
1916 - 2002
HPI: 57.97
Rank: 42
Kurt Aland
1915 - 1994
HPI: 57.83
Rank: 43
Franz Babinger
1891 - 1967
HPI: 57.31
Rank: 44