AUFRECHT, Simon Theodor. Leschnitz, Schlesien (now Leśnica, Poland) 7.1.1822 (1821?) — Bonn 3.4. 1907. German Indologist. Professor in Edinburgh and Bonn. Born in a Jewish merchant family, took later Christianity. Gymnasium in Oppeln, where he already became interested in Old German. In 1843 started the study of Classical Philology at Berlin, but took soon an interest in Bopp’s lectures. Other teachers were Boeckh and Lachmann, fellow students A. Kirckhoff, A. Kuhn, and A. Weber. Ph.D. 1847 Halle, PD 1850 Berlin. In 1852 to Oxford, where he was first Max Müller’s assistant in the Ṛgveda edition, then engaged in preparing the manuscript catalogue. In 1862-75 the first Professor of Sanskrit at Edinburgh University (succeeded by Eggeling), in 1873 rejected an offer from Strassburg. In 1876-89 Lassen’s successor at the chair in Bonn (succeeded by Jacobi). Hon. M.A. Oxford, D.Litt. Cambridge, LL.D. 1875 Edinburgh. Married Helen Mary Harrington, no children.
Aufrecht began his career as an IE scholar. Before going to England he started the KZ with A. Kuhn. In England changed into Indology, and gained from his catalogue work an exceptionally thorough knowledge of Sanskrit literature. These minute catalogues, crowned by the monumental Catalogus catalogorum, laid the foundation for all future work in literary history. According to Kielhorn he had read more Sanskrit than any other Western scholar of his time. The romanized Rgveda edition was the first complete one, as Max Müller’s major edition was still unfinished. Because romanized, it has always been the favourite of IE scholars, in spite of its curious system of transliteration. Aufrecht was a man of few words even in his writings. Still living he presented his literary remains in 1904 to India Office Library (cf. JRAS 1906, 1029ff.).
Publications: Diss. De accentu compositorum sanscriticorum. 80 p. Bonn 1847.
– With A. Kirckhoff: Über die umbrischen Sprachdenkmäler. 1–2. B. 1849–51; small articles and notes on IE in KZ 1-9, 1851-60.
– Edited: “Das XV. Buch des Atharvaveda”, ISt 1, 1850, 121-140.
– Catalogus codicum sanscriticorum postvedicorum, quotquot in Bibl. Bodleiana Oxoniensi asservatur. 1-2. 578 p. Oxford 1859-64 (additions in ZDMG 1875 & 1877); A Catalogue of Sanscrit manuscripts in the Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. 111 p. Cambridge 1869; Florentine Sanskrit Manuscripts. 181 p. Lp. 1892; Katalog der HSS… Leipzig. I. Sanskrit Handschriften. 493 p. Lp. 1901; Die Sanskrit-Handschriften der … Bibliothek in München. 228 p. Munich 1909.
– Edited: Ujjvaladatta’s commentary on the Uṇādisūtras. 22+278 p. Bonn 1859; Abhidhānaratnamālā of Halāyudha. A Sanskrit Vocabulary, with a Sanskrit-English Glossary. 400 p. L. & Edinburgh 1861; Die Hymnen des Rgveda. Ind. St. 6-7, 1861-63, 2nd ed. Bonn 1877 (romanized); Aitareya-Brāhmaṇa. 455 p. Bonn 1879 (romanized).
– “Zwei Erzählungen aus der Bharaṭakadvâtrinçatikâ und dem Kathârṇava”, ZDMG 14, 1860, 569-581 (edited & transl.); “Über die Paddhati von Sārṅgadhara”, ZDMG 27, 1873, 1-120 & 28, 1874, 156f.; “Beiträge zur Kenntniss indischer Dichter”, ZDMG 36, 1882, 361-383 & 509-559.
– Blüten aus Hindostan. Bonn 1873.
– Catalogus Catalogorum. 1-3. Lp. 1891-1903.
– “Über das Bhaviṣyapurāṇa. Ein literarischer Betrug”, ZDMG 57, 1903, 276-284.
– Many brief articles in KZ, ZDMG, TrPhilolSoc, etc.
Sources: A. B[allini], RSO 1, 1907, 165-167; *H. Jacobi, Biogr. Jb. 13, 1910, 326-332 & *id. JRAS 1907, 1121-25 (tr. from *Bonner Zeitung 95) & *id., Chronik der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelm-Universität 1907, 2-7; W. Kirfel, N.D.B. 1, 1953, 442f.; *R. Schmitt, Lex. gramm. 1996, 52; Stache-Rosen 1990, 54f.; Windisch 316-319; only briefly in German and English Wikipedia; photo in Rau 29.
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