WINTERNITZ, Moriz. Horn/Nieder-Österreich 23.12.1863 — Prague 9.1. 1937. Austrian Indologist in Czechoslovakia. Professor in Prague. Son of a modest Jewish shop-keeper, Bernhard W. and Theresia Robitschek. Gymnasium in Horn. In 1880-85 studied at Vienna classics and philosophy, soon also Sanskrit (under Bühler). Ph.D. 1886 Vienna. In 1886-91 Assistant to Max Müller in Oxford, from 1891 taught at Oxford High School for Girls, continuing his studies. In 1895-99 Librarian of Indian Institute at Oxford. PD 1899 Prague German University. In 1902 succeeded Ludwig as Professor of Sanskrit at the same (ord. from 1911). Retired in 1934. In 1922-23 visiting Professor at Santiniketan. Married 1892 Franziska Reik (1865–1905), remarried 1908 Berta Nagel (1862–1932), four sons and one daughter. He died just before the German intrusion which forced his family to escape to the U.K.

Winternitz was a many-sided Indologist. He started as a Vedic scholar and later became involved in epic studies. From 1897 he worked for the planned critical edition of the Mahābhārata, a plan ended by WW I, but when it was the taken up by B.O.R.I. in Pune, he eagerly collaborated in its beginnings. His literary history is still the best complete account of Sanskrit and Prākrit literature. Zubatý as a linguist and Winternitz as a philologist achieved a high standard of Indology in Prague. Beside Indology Winternitz was known as a pacifist and women’s rights’ defender. Among his students O. Stein, V. Gampert, H. D. Sharma, K. Deshpande and P. Bahl completed their Ph.D. under him.

Publications: Diss. rev. as Die altindische Hochzeitsritual nach dem Āpastambīya Gṛhyasūtra und einigen verwandten Werken. Mit Vergleichung der Hochzeitsgebräuche bei den übrigen indogermanischen Völkern. 114 p. DWA 40. Vienna 1892.

– “Notes on Śrāddhas and Ancestral Worship among the Indo-European Nations”, WZKM 4, 1890, 159-212.

– Edited: The Āpastambīya Gṛhyasūtra with extracts from the commentaries of Haradatta and Sudarśanācārya. 11+122 p. Vienna 1887; The Mantrapāṭha or the Prayer Book of the Āpastambins. Edited together with the commentary of Haradatta. 50+109 p. Anecdota Oxoniensia, Aryan series 8. Oxford 1897.

– “Der Sarpabali, ein altindischer Schlangenkult”, Mitt. Anthr. Ges. Wien 18, 1888, 25-52, 250-264.

– “Notes on Mahābhārata”, JRAS 1897, 713-759; “On the South indian Recension of the Mahābhārata”, IA 27, 1898, 67-81, 92-104, 122-136; “Genesis des Mahābhārata”, WZKM 14, 1900, 51-77; “Bṛhaddevatā and Mahābhārata”, WZKM 20, 1906, 1-36; “The Critical Edition of the Mbh.”, Indologica Pragensia 1, 1929, 58-68 & ABORI 15, 1934, 159-175.

– A Catalogue of South Indian Sanskrit Manuscripts belonging to the Royal Asiatic Society. 15+340 p. R.A.S. Monogr. 2. L. 1902; with A. B. Keith: Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library. Vol. 2. 26+348 p. Oxford 1905.

– Geschichte der indischen Literatur. 1-3. 505+405+697 p. St. 1908-22; rev. English transl. 1927-33 (1-2.) and 1963-67 (3.).

– “Dialog, Ākhyāna und Drama in der indischen Literatur”, WZKM 23, 1909, 102-137; “Die Vrātyas”, Z.f.Buddh. 6, 1924-45, 48-60.

– A General Index to the Names and Subject-Matter of the Sacred Books of the East. 16+684 p. S.B.E. 50. Oxford 1910.

– “Der Buddhismus”, A. Bertholet, Religionsgesch. Lesebuch. Tübingen 1911, 214-322; rev. 2nd ed. Der ältere Buddhismus nach texten des Tipiṭaka. 6+162 p. Ibid. 11. Tübingen 1929; Der Mahayana-Buddhismus nach Sanskrit- und Prākrittexten. 6+88 p. Ibid. 15. Tübingen 1930.

– “Beiträge zur buddhistischen Sanskritliteratur”, WZKM 16, 1912, 237-252 & 17, 1913, 33-47; “Die Jātakas in ihrer Bedeutung für die Geschichte der indischen und ausserindischen Kunst”, OstasZ 2, 1913-14, 259-265.

– “Die Wittwe im Veda”, WZKM 29, 1915, 172-203; “Die Frau in den indischen Religionen”, Archiv für Frauenkunde und Eugenik 1916-1917 and sep. 121 p. Lp. 1920 (pt. 1).

– Some Problems of Indian Literature. 130 p. Calcutta 1925.

– Rabindranath Tagore. Religion und Weltanschauung des Dichters. 50 p. Schriften der Deutschen Ges. für sittliche Erziehung 13. Prag 1936.

– Numerous articles and reviews in WZKM, JRAS, ArO, etc.; Kleine Schriften. Hrsg. von H. Brinkhaus. 1-2. 26+968 p. Glasenapp-St. 30. Wb. 1989.

Sources: *Margot & Martin Kraatz, Carl Capeller, Moriz Winternitz und Theodor Zachariae. Indologica Marpurgensia 2. Munich 2010; *N. N. Law, IHQ 14, 1938, iiiff.; V. Lesný, ArO 6, 1934, 1-4 & 9, 1937, 223f.; Sengupta 1996, 221-232; Stache-Rosen 1990, 151-153; *O. Stein. Litterae Orientales 57, 1934, 1-4; *O. Stein, Poona Or. 2, 1937, 35-48; V. S. Sukthankar, ABORI 18, 1936–37, 313-320; *Bibliography by O. Stein & W. Gampert, ArO 6, 1934, 275-291 & 9, 1937, 225-228; *O. Stein & V. Gampert (eds.), Festschrift M.W. Lp. 1933; Kdo byl kdo – čeští a slovenští orientalisté; https://libri.cz/databaze/orient/list.php?od=v&start=1 (in Czech); briefly D.B.E. 10, 1999, 535; parents and wives in geni.com; Wikipedia with photo (further details in German version), photo also in Festschrift and Rau 81, another in Sardesai.

*D. Zbavitel, “Albert Schweizers Briefe an MW”, ArO 61, 1993, 441-446.