BAER, Emil. Rifferswil in Loo, Canton Zürich 23.12.1884 — Dielsdorf, Canton Zürich 8.11.1945. Swiss Priest and Student of Indology. Son of the factory owner Theodor B. and Anna Leuthold. School at home village, in Affoltern and in Zürich, from 1906 studies at Zürich: theology, Arabic and Sanskrit, from 1906 classical and Oriental languages under Kaegi and Hausheer. Further studies of theology at Basel, ordained. Served as a priest at his home-village and in Italian speaking parts of Graubünden. From 1916 also continued his studies of Oriental languages. In 1921 left church and settled down as a schoolteacher (religion) in Zürich in order to be able to give more time to his studies. Now again took Indology and linguistics, mainly under Schwyzer and Abegg. Ph.D. 1924 Zürich. In 1928-42 served as priest in Zürich (1930 there) and in Niederhasli, Canton Zürich. In the 1930s joined the Swiss fascist National Front. In 1936 he demanded that Schwyzerdutsch (Alemannisch) should be accepted as official written language. In 1942-45 living in Berlin, then returned to Switzerland, but died soon. Married 1930 Luise Appenzeller.
Publications: Diss. Pratyabhijñâ-hrdaya. Das Geheimnis des Wiedererkennens. Eine neuauflebende Heilslehre des indischen Mittelalters. Aus dem Sanskrit übersetzt, eingeleitet und mit Anmerkungen versehen. 111 p. Z. 1926; English transl. by K. F. Leidecker, Madras 1938.
– Alemannisch. Die Rettung der eidgenössischen Seele. 150 p. Zürich 1936.
– Rightist political writings under the name Klaus Isenhard.
Sources: Vita in diss. Memberlist (1930) and Mitgliedernachrichten of D.M.G., no longer in 1950; R. Nagler 2009 at www.deutschlektoren.it/Bologna2009/…/Schweizerdeutsch.pdf; Alemannische Wikipedia.
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