In Memory of Berit Hildebrandt (1974–2026)
Dr. habil. Berit Hildebrandt was a historian with a particular interest in textiles and material culture in the ancient world.
Silk was central to her research: she explored its production, exchange and use, and what clothing could reveal about social relations and power.
At the Centre for Textile Research in Copenhagen, her Marie Skłodowska-Curie project The Emperor’s New Clothes examined the role of dress in the representation of Roman imperial power. Her research on the Silk Roads also brought scholars from different disciplines together, notably in the volume Silk: Trade and Exchange along the Silk Roads between Rome and China in Antiquity (2017), which she co-edited with Carole Gillis following an international conference she organised at Harvard.
Berit often described herself as ‘an archaeologist in an ancient historian’s clothing’. The expression captured both her humour and her delight in crossing disciplinary boundaries. She possessed extraordinary knowledge, yet approached unfamiliar subjects with the curiosity of a newcomer. She listened attentively, valued the expertise of others and delighted in discovering new ways of looking at things. Her intellectual openness was matched by a strong sense of integrity and a steadfast loyalty to friends and colleagues. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and her dry wit was often accompanied by a perfectly chosen quotation.
Berit loved working with students, took their ideas seriously and cared deeply about the next generation of scholars. She had a rare gift for making intellectual curiosity a shared experience and encouraging others to explore unfamiliar perspectives.
Berit was a wonderful colleague and a dear friend to many. She will be deeply missed.
Written by her colleagues and friends Nicole Reifarth, with Irene Skals and Peder Flemestad.