RAU, Heimo. Breslau 30.12.1912 — Filderstadt, Kr. Esslingen, Baden-Württemberg 30.12.1993. German Art Historian and Indologist. Long time in India. Son of Stadtbaurat Ernst Rau and Hedwig Czeschka (of Austria), both Steinerians. Studies of art history, archaeology and Indology at Vienna. In 1933 Assistant at excavations at Feistritz-Pulst in Carinthia. Ph.D. 1935 Vienna. In 1938-45 Assistant at Indian department, Staatliche Museen in Berlin, cataloguing Turfan finds. Military service remained short because of rheumatic arthritis. In 1946-60 taught as Lehrer für Kunstgeschichte und Geschichte at Freie Waldorfschule in Stuttgart. In 1960-65 Director of Max Mueller Bhawan in New Delhi and, after a few years in Heidelberg, in 1968-73 founder and first Director of Max Mueller Bhawan in Bombay, from 1973 again Director in Delhi and from 1975 founder and first Director of Max Mueller Bhawan in Kathmandu. In 1974 Visiting Professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi. From 1966 also wiss. Mitarbeiter at Südasieninstitut, Heidelberg, and from 1968 PD for Indian art and archaeology at Heidelberg, where he taught regularly every year until 1982. Married 1940 Herta Wehnert, three daughters and one son.

Rau was a specialist of early Buddhist art and architecture, cave temples and art of Nepal.

Publications: Diss. Lotosblume, Baum, Rad und Stupa auf den Reliefs der Stupentore von Sañci. Ein Beitrag zur Ikonographie d. frühind. Kunst. Manuscript, Vienna 1935.

– Kretische Paläste – Mykenische Burgen. 15 p. 48 pl. St. 1956; Normannische Kunst in Sizilien. 16 p. 48 pl. St. 1956; Griechische Kunst in Sizilien. 16 p. 48 pl. St. 1957; Staufische Apulien. 11 p. 48 pl. St. 1957; Mittelalterliche Toskana. 15 p. 48 p. St. 1965.

– Die Kunst Indiens bis zum Islam. 64 p. 110 ill. St. 1958; Taj Mahal. 66 p. ill. Biberach 1973.

– Mahatma Gandhi as Germans see him. 187 p. Bombay 1959; Mahatma Gandhi in Selbstzeugnissen und Bilddokumenten. 145 p. Reinbek 1970.

– Reflections on Indian art. 16+179 p. 26 pl. Bombay 1976.

– Indien: Kunst- und Reiseführer mit Landeskunde. 496 p. St. 1978, 2nd rev. and enl. ed. 619 p. St. 1990; Indonesien: Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java, Bali: Kunst- und Reiseführer. 304 p. St. 1982; Nepal: Kunst- und Reiseführer. 316 p. 24 pl. St. 1984.

– Indiens Erbe – Illusion und Wirklichkeit heute. 95 p. St. 1982.

– Stilgeschichte der indischen Kunst. 1–2. 480 p. 320 ill. Graz 1986.

– Articles on Indian art and archaeology.

Sources: D.G.K. 1992, *17th ed. 1996; German Scholars on India 1973, 420; German Wikipedia with photo (and some inaccuracies); A. Bana in http://biographien.kulturimpuls.org/detail.php?&id=547 with two photos.