SIIGER, Halfdan (Hans Christian Julius Johannes Sophus Halfdan Siiger). Copenhagen 28.7.1911 — Copenhagen 15.12.1999. Danish Ethnologist, Scholar of Religion and Tibetan. Professor in Aarhus. Son of wholesale dealer Hans Christian Siiger (1881–1973) and Julie Ingeborg Petrine Fogh (1888–1979). Matriculated from Birkerød in 1929, studies at Copenhagen. Cand. theol. 1936, mag. art. 1942 in Religionshistorie. In 1947-50 he participated in third Danish Central Asian Expedition in Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, conducting fieldwork in 1948 among Kalasha, 1949 among Lepcha in Sikkim, and 1950 among Boro in Assam. In 1950-60 Museumsinspector in Etnografisk Samling, Nationalmuseet in Copenhagen. In 1960-79 the first Professor of Religionshistorie at Aarhus University, 1966-67 also Dean of Humanistic Faculty. In many public positions planning and deeming research and studies of Christian and comparative religion and ethnology. Retired in 1979. Married 1941 Inga Tronhjem (1911–1991).

Publications: Ethnological field-researches in Chitral, Sikkim and Assam. 66 p. Vid. Selsk. Hist.-fil. Medd. 36:2. Copenhagen 1956.

– With J. Balslev Jørgensen: “Anthropological Investigations of the Lepchas and the Boros”, Anthropological researches from the 3. Danish expedition to Central Asia 4:4. Vid. Selsk. Hist.-fil. Skr. Copenhagen 1966, 57-76.

– With J. Rischel: The Lepchas. Culture and Religion of a Himalayan People. 1-2. 251+1?? p. Copenhagen 1967.

– Edited by P. B. Andersen & S. K. Soren, with additional material: The Bodo of Assam. Revisiting a Classical Study from 1950. 14+304 p. N.I.A.S. monogr. ser. 130. Copenhagen 2015.

– Articles.

Sources: Krags Blå Bog 1994; A.W. Geertz, obituary in Web; J. Stenbæk, D.B.L. 3rd ed. in denstoredanske.dk/Dansk_Biografisk_Leksikon/Historie/Religionshistoriker/Halfdan_Siiger.