FÜHRER, JOSEPH. - Archaeologist, b. 1858, d. 1 Feb 1903, professor of philology and history first at the lyceum in Dillingen, then at that in Bamberg. He was an indefatigable explorer of the Christian necropolises of Sicily, of which he visited more than 120 sites, including underground cemeteries, hypogea, and subterranean burial grounds. He surveyed the plans of over 50 sepulchral areas and made drawings and photographs.
One of his most important works is titled: *Forschungen zur Sicilia sotterranea* (Munich 1897, in vol. XX of the *Abhandlungen der kgl. bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften*). With rigorous method and great clarity, he treats the Syracusan catacombs, providing historical information and an inventory of the paintings and inscriptions. His study of Sicily’s subterranean cemeteries is complemented by his examination of all the island’s burial grounds. Death overtook FÜHRER when only a part of this vast work was ready for the press; the remainder, based on his notes, was edited by V. Schultze, who completed the research: *Die altehrlichen Grabstätten Siziliens* (Berlin 1907, in *Jahrbuch des kaiserlich Deutschen Archäologisch Instituts*).
Among FÜHRER’s minor studies, the following may be noted: *Altertümliche Begräbnisanlagen bei Feola in Ostsizilien* (in *Römische Mitteilungen*, 17 (1902), pp. 110–21); *Die Katakombe in Molinello-Tal bei Augusta in Ostsizilien* (in *Römische Quartalschrift*, 16 (1902), pp. 203–21); *Ein altchristliches Hypogeum im Bericht der Vigna Cassia bei Syrakus* (in *Abhandlungen der kgl. bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften*, 22 (Munich 1902), pp. 109–58).
FÜHRER JOSEPH – FULCHERIO DI CHARTRES
His writing *Ein Beitrag zur Lösung der Felicitas Frage* (Freising 1890) is notable for hagiography.