HILLEBRANDT, Alfred. Großnädlitz bei Breslau (now Nadolice Wielkie in Poland) 15.3.1853 — Deutsch-Lissa bei Breslau (now Wrocław-Leśnica) 18.10.1927. German Indologist. Professor at Breslau. Son of Franz H., a Lutheran minister, and Philippine Levi. After school in Großnädlitz and Breslau studies of Indology at Breslau (under Stenzler) and Munich (Haug). With his experience from India Haug prompted his students Hillebrandt and J. Schwab to study Vedic ritual, Hillebrandt wrote on lunar rituals, Schwab on animal sacrifices. Ph.D. 1876 Munich, habilitation 1877 Breslau. From 1883 ao. Professor at Breslau, from 1887 Stenzler’s successor as ord. Professor there. In 1902 and 1911 Rector of the university, in 1903-18 Member of Preuss. Herrenhaus. In 1905 visited India. Retired in 1921. Hon. Ph.D. St.Andrews (Scotland).
During 25 years Hillebrandt worked mainly on his major project, the Vedic mythology, although he himself admitted that much remained unclear. In addition, he continued with Vedic ritual and in his later years became also interested in classical Sanskrit literature. He was one of the first to study the newly found Arthaśāstra and was capable of showing that it really was the old work quoted under this name in other literature.
Publications: Diss. Über die Göttin Aditi. 51 p. Breslau 1876; habil. diss. Varuṇa als Himmelsgott und Herr über Tag und Nacht. 31 p. Breslau 1877, rev. and enl. publ. as Varuṇa und Mitra. 159 p. Breslau 1877.
– Altindische Neu- und Vollmondopfer. 196 p. Jena 1879
– Edited: Śāṅkhāyanaśrautasūtra. The Çrautasûtra of Ç. together with the Commentary of Varadattasuta Ânartîya. 1-3. Bibl.Ind. Calcutta 1888-99.
– Die Sonnwendfeste in Alt-Indien. 46 p. Erlangen & Lp. 1889 (from Festschrift für Konrad Hoffmann = Roman. Forschungen 5, 1889, 299ff.).
– Vedische Mythologie. 1-3. Breslau 1891-1902; edition minor. 200 p. 1910; 2nd ed. 1-2. Breslau 1927-29; English Vedic Mythology. Translated by Sreeramula Rajeswara Sarma. 1–2. 15+476, 8+484 p. Delhi 1980.
– Under pseudonym Fritz Bonsen: Die Götter des Ṛgveda. Eine euhemeristische Skizze. 14 p. Breslau 1894.
– Ritualliteratur, Vedische Opfer und Zauber. 189 p. Grundriss 3:2. Strassburg 1897.
– Alt-indien: Kulturgeschichtliche Skizzen. 212 p. Breslau 1899.
– “Das älteste Lehrbuch der indischen Politik”, Jahresbericht der Slesischen Ges. für vaterländ. Kultur 1908, 19-48.
– Edited: Viśākhadatta: Mudrārākṣasa. 226 p. Ind. Forsch. 4. Breslau 1912.
– Translated: Lieder des Ṛgveda. 164 p. Quellen der Rel.gesch. 5:7. Göttingen 1913; Aus Brahmanas und Upanischaden. 1921.
– Kālidāsa. Versuch zu einer literarischen Würdigung. 167 p. Breslau 1921.
– Altindische Politik. 12+211 p. Jena 1923.
– Buddhas Leben und Lehre. 155 p. Wege zum Wissen 38. B. 1925.
– Articles on the IE, Rigveda, Vedic religion, Kauṭilya, etc. in BB, ZDMG, WZKM, ZII; Aus Alt- und Neuindien; gesammelte Aufsätze von Alfred Hillebrandt. Breslau 1922.
– Kleine Schriften. Hrsg. von R. P. Das. 685 p. Glasenapp-St. 28. Wb. 1987.
Sources: E. Kornemann, A.H. und die Universität Breslau. 1928; Br. Liebich, ZDMG 82, 1928, 42-48; D. Schrapel, N.D.B. 9, 1972, 149f.; Stache-Rosen 1990, 121f.; Stache-Weiske 2017, 530; *M. Witzel, “A.H. Reconsidered”, JAOS 112, 1992, 611-618; IHQ 4, 1928, 399f.; briefly in D.B.E. 5, 1997, 43; German Wikipedia; portrait from *Schlesische Lebensbilder 3, 1928 in Rau 64 and Sardesai.
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