WLISLOCKI, Heinrich Adalbert von. Kronstadt (now Braşov) 9.7.1856 — Klosdorf bei Kleinkopisch (now Şona in Translivania) 19.2.1907. Austrian Gypsy Scholar. His father was Polish-Austrian tax collector and mother a German (Saxon) of Transylvania, gymnasium in Kronstadt. In 1875-79 studied at Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca), mainly Germanic, but also Sanskrit (Brassai). He proceeded in his studies, although father’s death caused considerable difficulties and he had to work as tutor. Ph.D. 1879 (diss. on Edda). Worked as tutor in 1883-90 in Mühlbach (Sebeş), but also eagerly collected gypsy material. Also worked as translator. In last years, from 1899, suffered of mental problems and of weakening eyesight. Married Rosa Saric, herself a gypsy, divorced, then remarried Fanny (Fani) Dörfler, a Hungarian folklorist and teacher.
Wlislocki was relatively unprejudiced for his time, lived long periods with the nomadic Transylvanian gypsies and knew intimately their life.
Publications: Diss. Hapax legomena im Atlamál. 1879 (in the Elder Edda), then publ. in Z. für vgl. Litteratur.
– Die Sprache der transylvanischen Zigeuner. Grammatik. Wörterbuch. 2+128 p. Lp. 1884.
– Märchen und Sagen der Transsilvanischen Zigeuner. 18+139 p. B. 1886; Volksdichtungen der siebenbürgischen und südungarischen Zigeuner. 16+431 p. Vienna 1890.
– Vom wandernden Zigeunervolke. Bilder aus dem Leben der Siebenbürger Zigeuner, Geschichtliches, Ethnologisches, Sprache und Poesie. 7+390 p. Hamburg 1890.
– Aus dem inneren Leben der Zigeuner. Ethnologische Mittheilungen. 220 p. 28 fig. Berlin 1892.
– Some other books and numerous articles, also on Transylvanian Saxons, Hungarians and Armenians, especially in Ungar. Revue, Z. für vgl. Litteratur, JGLS, Z. f. deutsche Philologie and ZDMG.
Sources: Briefly in Bethlenfalvy 1980, 21; H.F. Helmolt, JGLS N.S. 1, 1908, 193-197; *Sv. Procop, “H.v.Wl. in the memories of his contemporaries”, Revista de Etnologie şi Culturologie 22, 2017, 60-67; Wikipedia with photo.
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