SCHERMAN, Lucian Milius. Posen (now Poznań in Poland) 10.10.1864 — Hanson, Mass. 29.5.1946. German Indologist and Anthropologist. Professor in Munich. Husband of —> Christine Scherman. Son of Adolph Scherman (1807–1876), a merchant and land owner, and Johanna Auerbach (1834–1907). After school in Breslau and Posen studies from 1882 at Breslau (Stenzler) and 1883 Munich (E. Kuhn). Ph.D. 1885 Munich. PD 1892 Munich, for Indology, but soon seems to have turned to anthropology. From 1901 eo. Professor of Sanskrit and in 1916-33 ord. Professor für die Völkerkunde Asiens at Munich. In 1907-33 also Director of Museum der Völkerkunde in Munich. In 1910-11 in India and Burma with his wife. From 1912 ao. Member of Bavarian Academy of Sciences (ord. member 1929). In 1933 forced to retire as a Jew from University and Museum, in 1939 expelled from Academy on “racial” grounds and fled with his wife to the U.S.A., where their son was living as physician. Became U.S. citizen before his death. Apparently published not much. Among his students was Schierlitz. Married 1889 Christine Reindl (1865–1940), three daughters and one son.
Publications: Diss. 1885 rev. as Philosophische Hymnen aus der Rig- und Atharva-Veda-Saṁhitā, verglichen mit den Philosophemen der älteren Upanishads. 7+96 p. Strassburg 1887; habil.diss. Materialien zur Geschichte der indischen Visionsliteratur. 5+161 p. Lp. 1892.
– Editor of Orientalische Bibliographie. 1893-1911, 1926.
– Völkerkundliche Notizen aus Oberbirma. 1. Die Maring. 12 p. 3 pl. SBaAW 1911:9; with Chr. Scherman: Im Stromgebiet des Irrawaddy. Birma und seine Frauenwelt. 132 p. ill. Munich 1922.
– Zur altchinesischen Plastik. Erläuterung einiger Neuzugänge im München ethnographischen Museum. 62 p. SBaAW 1915; Frühbuddhistische Steinskulpturen in China. 11 p. ill. Munich 1921; Buddha in Fürstenschmuck. Erläuterung hinterindischer Bildwerke der Münchener Museum für Völkerkunde. 36 p. ABaAW N.F. 7. Munich 1932.
– “Von Indiens ‘Blauen Bergen’ (Nīlgiri): Kurumba – Irula – Paniyan”, JAOS 62, 1942, 13-35, 10 fig.
– “Indische Weisheit”, JAOS 63, 1943, 241-262, English transl.: “Indian Wisdom. Marginal Notes to “Hinduism and Buddhism” by Ananda K. Coomaraswamy: Philosophical, Literary, 1943”, NIA 8, 1946, 7-30.
– “India and Kroeber’s Configuration of Culture Growth”, JAOS 65, 1945, 133-144.
– Kleine Schriften. Hrsg. von Fr. Wilhelm. 704 p. Glasenapp-Stiftung 40. St. 2001.
Sources: Edgerton, JAOS 66, 1946, 271; *H. Goetz, NIA 8, 1946, 120f.; F. Wilhelm, N.D.B. 22, 2005, 699f.; D.G.K. 1931 & 1935; briefly Wikipedia with photo (more in German version).
*Bruno J. Richtsfeld (ed.): “Der Briefwechsel Lucian Scherman–Albert von Le Coq und die Gründe für das Scheitern einer Serindien-Abteilung am Völkerkundemuseum München. Die Serindien-Sammlung des Staatlichen Museums für Völkerkunde München II”, Münchner Beiträge zur Völkerkunde 14, 2010/11, 129–193.
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