Thracian Culture: Told and Untold

Prof. Alexander Fol, Dr. Habil. (3 July 1933 - 1 March 2006) devoted more than 50 years to the study of the history of the Old World and of Southeastern Europe in Antiquity, Indo-European Studies and Thracology, and the history of the ancient Greek and Thracian cultures. Founder and director (1972-1992) of the Institute of Thracology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Alexander Fol served as Secretary General of the International Council of Indo-European and Thracian Studies, Head of the Chair of Ancient History and Thracology at the Department of History at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (1979-1987), First Deputy Minister of Culture (1974-1980), and Minister of Education (1980-1986). He became Professor of Ancient History and Thracology at the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia in 1972 at the Department of History, Professor of History of Ancient and Bulgarian Culture (Part I, Antiquity) at the Department of Philosophy at the same university in 1991, and Professor of Ancient History and Thracology at New Bulgarian University, Sofia, in 1999. He was also Visiting Professor at various universities in the UK, USA, Russia, Germany, Japan, Greece, Sweden, Italy, France, Hungary, and other countries; initiator and co-organizer of the International Congresses of Thracology from 1972 to 2005 (Sofia, Bucharest, Vienna, Rotterdam, Moscow, Palma de Mallorca, Sofia, Chisinau, Komotini-Alexandrupolis); initiator and scientific organizer of the National Museum of History in Sofia (founded in 1974); initiator and scientific organizer of the National High School for Ancient Languages and Cultures in Sofia (founded in 1973); initiator and scientific organizer of the Centre for Marine History and Underwater Archaeology in Sozopol (founded in 1978); initiator of the establishment of the Research Institute at the Wittgenstein Bulgarian Cultural Centre in Vienna; organizer of the Thracian Treasures exhibition, which has been shown at some of the world"s most presti