DORN, Johann Albrecht Bernhard (Boris Andreevič) von. Scheuerfeld bei Koburg 11.5.1805 — St.Petersburg 19.5.(31.5.)1881. German Oriental (Iranian) Scholar in Russia. Son of Heinrich Wilhelm D., a minister, and Susanna Friederike Bühl. Gymnasium in Coburg. Studies from 1822, first Theology, soon Oriental languages, at Halle and Leipzig. Ph.D. and PD (diss. on Ethiopian Psalm text) 1825 Leipzig. As a young doctor, in 1826 he was invited to Harkov (then in Russia, now Harkiv in Ukraina) and after a visit to London (1827-29) for manuscript studies he came to Russia and worked in 1829-35 as Professor of Oriental Languages at Harkov University. Taught also Sanskrit there. From 1835 Professor and corresponding member of Imperial Academy in St.Petersburg, 1839 Adjunct and 1852 ordinary member of Academy. For some years also taught at Oriental Institute (i.al. Sanskrit in 1838-42). From 1842 the director of the Asian Museum in St.Petersburg, from 1844 also librarian. In 1860-61 visited Caucasus, Mazanderan and Gilan. Married 1836 Charlotte von Klopmann, two sons and two daughters.
Publications: Diss. De psalterio aethiopico commentatio. 70 p. Lp. 1825.
– Ueber die Verwandtschaft des persischen, germanischen, griechischen und lateinischen. 14+187 p. Hamburg 1827.
– De affinitate linguae Slavicae et Sanscritae. 13+154 p. Harkov 1833.
– History of the Afghans, translated from the Persian of Neamet-Ullah. 1-2. London 1829-36; Grammatische Bemerkungen über die Sprache der Afghanen. St.P. 1845 (= Mem. Imp. Acad. 6:5, 1845, 1-163); A chrestomathy of the Pushtu. 15+618 p. St. Petersburg 1847.
– “Ueber eine Handschrift der arabischen Bearbeitung des Josaphat und Barlaam”, Bull. hist.-phil. 9, 1852, 305-323.
– “Ueber eine Pehlewy-Inschrift und die Bedeutung des Wortes Avesta”, Bull. hist.-phil. 16, 1859, 113-132 = Mél. as. 3, 1859, 506-531.
– Much on Iranian (beside Pashtu) and Near Eastern philology, history and numismatics, including Pre-Islamic period.
Sources: *V.A. Abaschnik, “J.A.B.D. (1805–1881) aus Coburg als Professor der Orientalistik in Charkow und Sankt Petersburg”, Coburger Geschichtsblätter 2004: 1-2, 26-39; G. Dugat, Histoire des orientalistes. P. 1868, 72-99; J.W. Fück 1955, 197 & N.D.B. 4, 1959, 78f.; *I.Ju. Kračkovskij, Očerki po istorii russkoj arabistiki. M. – Lg. 1950; *A.M. Kulikova, NAA 1975:2, 220–228; *von Prantl, SBaAW 1882:1, 394-396; Vigasin 2008, 79-82; *Zapiski Akad. nauk 40:2, 1881, 2f.; JRAS Proc. 1883, xvi-xxii; Wikipedia with photo (in Russian version references to further Russian sources).
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