NAU, Heinrich (Henry). Beltershausen, Marburg 21.9.1881 — Greensboro, NC 17.5.1956. German Lutheran Missionary and Student of Indology (Tamil). Son of a farmer, studied at Marburg. Emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1902. Now turned to religion and studied at Concordia Seminary in St.Louis. Missionary in South India 1905-14. Learned Tamil and Sanskrit. In 1914 an illness forced him to leave India. He visited his parents and WW I forced him to remain in Germany. Served briefly in army, then as chaplain in a hospital. After war priest in Chemnitz and Berlin. Now studied Indology at Halle under Hultzsch. Ph.D. 1920 Halle, then again to the U.S.A. Taught at Lutheran colleges in New Orleans (1921-25) and Greensboro, NC (1925-50). In the late 1930s in Nigeria in missionary work. Again missionary in India working on Muslims, 1951-54. Married, seven children.
Publications: Diss. Prolegomena zu Paṭṭaṇattu Piḷḷayāras Pāḍal. 112 p. Zwickau 1919.
– Vanji Bhumi: Einiges über Travancore und seine Bewohner. St.Louis 1913.
Sources: Diss. in Janert, briefly mentioned by Lehmann; details in http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=N&word=NAU.HEINRICH and LCMS-175-Synod-Anniversary-Handout-Henry-Nau.
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