SCHILLING VON CANSTADT, Paul Ludwig, Freiherr (Cannstatt, Russian Pavel Lvovič Šilling fon Kanštadt, Baron). Real (Tallinn) 5.(16.)4.1786 — St.Petersburg 25.7.(6.8.)1837. Russian (German of Estonia) Officer, Diplomat, and Lay Sinologist also interested in Tibetan, and in Physics. Son of an officer, Ludwig Joseph Ferdinand Sch., of old Swabian noble family, spent his early years in Kazan. After father’s death (1797) his mother, Catharina Charlotte von Schilling, married Karl von Bühler, a diplomat and the young baron lived with them in Germany and entered himself diplomat service after military education. In 1803-12 interpreter at Russian embassy in Munich. In 1813-14 he participated as officer in the war against Napoleon. Then again in foreign ministry. In 1830-32 he travelled in Mongolia and Chinese north-western borderland ondiplomatic missiontogether with —> I. Bičurin, collecting a great number of Chinese, Tibetan and Mongolian manuscripts and xylographs. Also known of his work in the development of telegraph. He began early experiments with electricity and made some inventions. Introduced lithography in Russia (founded the first lithographic press in 1818). Donated a Tibeto-Mongolian collection to Institut de France. In last years often ill. Unmarried.

Publications: Lith. ed. ’phags-pa-che-dar-ye-śes-dpag-tu-med-pa-žes-byab-theg-pa-čhen–po’i-mdo. d.i. – das ehrwürdige Mahâjânasûtra mit Namen: “das unermessliche Lebensalter und die unermessliche Erkenntniss. 50 p. St.Petersburg 1845.

– “Bibliothèque bouddhique ou Index du Gandjour de Nartang”, Bull hist.-phil. Acad. Imp. 4, 1847:21, 321-336 & 22, 337-339.

Sources: Deutsch-balt. biogr. Lex. 1710–1960; *J. Bacot, “La collection S. von C. à la Bibliothèque de l’Institut”, JA 12:205, 1924, 321-348; *L. Ligeti, “La collection mongole Schilling von Canstadt”, TP 27, 1930, 119-178; Stache-Weiske 2017, 557; *Walravens 1999, 85-100; H. Walravens, N.D.B. 22, 2005, 768f.; Wikipedia with portrait, see also German and Russian versions.