Johann Michael Ackner (January 25, 1782, in Sighișoara; August 12, 1862, in Hammersdorf near Hermannstadt, Transylvania) was an archaeologist and naturalist. Ackner is considered a co-founder of German research in Transylvania. He gained particular recognition for his work in archaeology and geology. Johann Michael Ackner was born in the Transylvanian town of Sighișoara (formerly Schässburg). He attended high school in Sighișoara and Hermannstadt. Later, Ackner studied theology in Wittenberg and Göttingen, as well as philosophy, history, natural sciences, comparative anatomy, history of medicine, philology, and archaeology.