Dr. Siegfried Seifert (1936–2013)
Dr. Siegfried Seifert was one of the guiding intellectual forces during the period of German reunification in Bautzen, and brought his vision to the revitalization of the city. As Head of the Cathedral Treasury, he helped to make our city known beyond the boundaries of the region.
Dr. Siegfried Seifert was born in 1936. He studied theology in Leipzig and took his doctorate in Saxon church history. From 1962 to 2001 he was in the service of the episcopal ordinariate of the diocese of Dresden-Meissen. From 1964 to 2001 he was director of the archive and library of the Cathedral Chapter and the ordinariate, since 1967 Domkustos of the Cathedral Chapter St. Petri, from 1985 to 2001 Head of the St. Petri Cathedral Treasury.
Dr. Siegfried Seifert, as a profound expert on the history of the Oberlausitz, Saxony and Bohemia, has become renown far beyond the borders of our city. He brought his diverse knowledge and experience into the planning and development of the city. Even before the events of reunification, he was committed to the preservation of the historic old City of Bautzen, and after 1989, he maintained his commitment to this cause.
His extensive knowledge of the history of the church, town and art of Bautzen, the Oberlausitz, Bohemia and Saxony is not only reflected in numerous remarkable publications, but he is also a much sought-after speaker at public events. In 1985, with the opening of the Cathedral Treasury, Dr Seifert succeeded in making the important Bautzen church treasures accessible to the public. Until his retirement he was the Head of the Cathedral Treasury.
The exhibition of the Bautzen Cathedral Treasure in Salzburg in 1992 brought international attention to our city, and in the same year he organized the exhibition of the Salzburg Cathedral Treasure in Bautzen.
He also built fruitful relationships with our eastern neighbors, which was reflected in other exhibition projects. Through his work Dr. Seifert has acquired great respect and authority, and has also promoted other archives, museums and institutions in Bautzen.