TYCHSEN, Oluf (Olaf) Gerhard. Tondern, Schleswig (now Tønder in Danish Slesvig) 14.12.1734 (not 1735) — Rostock 30.12.1815. German Oriental Scholar. Son of a Norwegian father, Jern Tuka(son), himself took later the name Tychsen. Educated in Altona, Oriental studies at Halle. For a while teacher at Waisenhaus in Halle, from 1759 in Juden-Mission, from 1760 PD at Rostock, 1761 at Bützow. From 1763 Professor of Oriental Languages at Bützow, and after the reunification of Mecklenburgian universities at Rostock, taught there until death. Also Librarian of the University.
Tychsen was an epigraphist and numismatist, but also a theologian. Little before Grotefend he was unsuccesful in deciphering the Old Persian cuneiform. He was a polyglot who knew many European and Oriental languages. In bibliographies, etc., he is often confused with —> Th. Chr. Tychsen, but they were not even related.
Publications: De delectu veterum Ebraeorum. 24 p. Bützow 1763; Dialecti rabbinicae elementa. 8+88 p. Bützow 1763; A dialogue between a learned Jew and a Christian. 38 p. Bützow 1763; etc. on Hebrew and Judaic studies and numismatics.
– Catalecta Arabica ad usum scholarum suarum edidit. 24+96 p. Bützow 1765; Elementale Arabicum, sistens linguae Arabicae Elementa. 20+184 p. Rostock 1792.
– Interpretatio inscriptionis Cuficae in marmorea templi S. Marci cathedra. 15 p. Bützow 1787; etc. on Cufic inscriptions; Introductio in rem numariam Muhamedanorum. 1-2. Rostock 1794-96; edited: ed. Al-Makrizii Historia monetae Arabicae. 166 p. Rostock 1797.
– Elementale Syriacum sistens grammaticam, chrestomathiam et glossarium. 14+180 p. Rostock 1793; edited: Physiologus Syrus, seu historia animalium. 11+195 p. Rostock 1795.
– De cuneatis inscriptionibus Persepolitanis lucubratio. 48 p. 2 pl. Rostock 1797; Beurtheilung der Grotefendischen und Lichtensteinischen Entzifferung der Persepolitansichen Keilschriften. Rostock 1802.
– Bützowische Nebenstunden, verschiedenen zur morgenländischen Gelehrsamkeit gehörigen Sachen gewidmet. 1-6. Bützow 1766-69; Geschichte der öffentlichen Universitäts-Bibliothek und des Museums zu Rostock. 1-2. Rostock 1790-93; Opuscula quattuor, antiquitates orientales illustrantia. Rostock 1794; numerous articles in Beytr. zu den Mecklenburg-Schwerinischen Nachrichten 1762ff. etc.
Sources: B.U. 43; N.B.G. 45; Das Gelehrte Teutschland; *A.Th. Hartmann, Oluf Gerhard T. oder Wanderungen durch die mannigfaltigsten Gebiete der biblisch-asiatischen Literatur. Ein Denkmal der Freundschaft und Dankbarkeit. 1-2 (4 parts). Bremen 1818-20; H. Klenz, A.D.B. 39, 1895, 38-51; Wikipedia with relief portrait (further references in German version).
Last Updated on 11 months by Admin
