Johann Michael Ackner (25 January 1782, Schäßburg/Sighisoara - 12 August 1862, Hermannstadt/Sibiu) was an Transylvanian archaeologist and nature researcher.

Born in the town of Schäßburg in the Austrian province of Transylvania, Johann Ackner first visited the college in his home town. He then went on to study philosophy at the Reformed college of Hermannstadt and in 1805 in Wittenberg. However, his studies were interrupted by the occupation of Wittenberg by the French in 1806. Ackner continued his studies in Göttingen where he heard among others Christian Gottlob Heyne, Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, Johann Beckmann and Arnold Hermann Ludwig Heeren.

After finishing his university studies, he traveled by food through large parts of Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. After returning to Transylvania, he worked for 13 years as professor of philology and archaeology at the school of Hermannstadt. In 1821, the community of Hermannstadt elected him as priest, which gave him time to follow his studies. He traveled several times between 1832 and 1847 to visit areas of Roman history and sites of mineral findings and petrifactions in Transylvania and neighbouring countries. As a result of these travels, he wrote a series of archaeological tracts and tracts on natural history and collected antiquities, coins, petrifactions and minerals. He often accepted visitors from scientific circles in his parish.

Publications

• Antiqua musei Parisiorum monumenta, Hermannstadt, 1809
• Mineralogie Siebenbürgens mit geognostischen Andeutungen, 1847-1855
• Die römischen Altertümer und deutschen Burgen in Siebenbürgen mit einer Übersichtskarte
• Die Colonien und militärischen Standlager der Römer in Dacien
• Die römischen Inschriften in Dacien, gesammelt und bearbeitet von J.W.Ackner und Friedr. Müller, Vienna, 1856

Sources

• Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie - online version