WELLER, Hermann (nom-de-plume Hans Lindach). Schwäbisch-Gmünd 4.2.1878 — Tübingen 9.12.1956. German Indologist and Poet. Born in a Catholic family, son of a merchant, lost early (1890) his both parents. Educated in Gmünd, Mergentheim and Ehingen. Studied at Tübingen and Berlin law, classics, Hebrew and Indology. Ph.D. 1901 (not in Indology). Worked as schoolteacher, finally as Studienrat in Ellwangen until 1931, when he took early retirement for health reasons and in order to concentrate on his studies. PD 1930 Tübingen (now of Indology). From 1938 nb. ao. Professor and from 1939 apl. Professor, in 1945-46 acting Director of Indol. Seminar, from 1946 Hon. Professor at Tübingen.

Weller is mainly known of his studies on Sanskrit (and Avestan) metrics and of his free German translations of Bhāsa. He also wrote a lot of Neo-Latin poetry in classical metres and in the late 1930s used it for a hidden criticism of the Nazi racial policy.

Publications: Transl. as Hans Lindach: Im Lande der Nymphäen. Bilder aus Indiens Liebesleben nach Amaru. Strassburg 1908.

– “Beiträge zur Metrik des Veda”, ZII 1, 1922, 115-184; “Metrica [RV]”, Fs. Schubring 1951, 180-191; further articles on metrics, RV, Bhāsa, etc.

– Anahita. Grundlegendes zur arischen Metrik. 10+154 p. Veröff. Orient. Sem. Univ. Tüb. 9. St. 1936.

– Transl. Balacharita. Die Abenteuer des Knaben Krischna. Schauspiel von Bhasa. 99 p. Lp. 1922; Awimaraka. Schauspiel von Bh. 187 p. Indische Dichter 2. Lp. 1924; Wâsawadatta, ein Sch. von Bhasa. 128 p. Indische Dichter 3. Lp. 1926; Eine indische Tragödie? Durjodhanas Ende. Ein Bhāsa zugeschriebene Einakter. 62 p. Beitr. zur indischen Sprachwiss. und Rel.gesch. 8. St. 1933.

– Indische Lebensweisheit und Lebenskunst. 293 p. St. 1950.

– Epistula castrensia. 1917; Carmina latina. Tübingen 1938, 2nd ed. 1946.

Sources: O. Hiltbrunner, Kleines Literarisches Lexikon. 4th ed. 2:2, 1973, 427; Stache-Rosen 1990, 190f.; D.G.K. 1940/41 & 1954; Wikipedia (also German version).

*H. Brückner, U. Dubielzig & K. Plieninger: Weite Horizonte. Hermann Weller 1878–1956, klassischer Indologe, lateinischer Dichter, christlicher Humanist. Schwäbisch Gmünd 2006.