SEIDENSTÜCKER, Karl Bernhard (Girimānanda, Bruno Freydank). Gerbstedt, Mansfeld-Sïdharz 23.3.1876 — Leipzig 29.10.1936. German Bauddha and Buddhist Scholar. Son of a vicar (Oberpfarrer), Karl S., educated in Halle. From 1895 studies of science and medicine at Göttingen, 1900 switched to philosophy and philology at Leipzig (Windisch) and Halle. Also listened to Kielhorn at Göttingen and Pischel and Zachariae at Halle. In 1902 became interested in Buddhism, founded 1903 Buddhistische Missionverein and translated books about Buddhism from English. Schumann claims that he now studied Indology at Prague under Winternitz, but this is not true. In 1911 founded with his friends the German branch of the Mahabodhi Society. Ph.D. 1913 Leipzig (under Windisch). Participated as soldier in WW I. From 1916 Assistant in Hamburg Museum of Ethnology, for a few years. In 1921 he founded with Grimm the Altbuddhistische Gemeinde in Utting am Ammersee. In 1925/26 left Buddhism, settled in Leipzig and joined Catholic Church. Married 1908 Martha Dönig, two daughters and a son,
The Südbuddhistische Studien was originally meant to be Seidenstücker’s hab.diss., but the service in WW I probably stopped this plan. Some publications appeared under nom-de-plume Bruno Freydank.
Publications: Transl. from English: Buddhistisches Vergissmeinnicht. Eine Sammlung buddhistischer Sprüche für alle Tage des Jahres. 286 p. Lp. 1905: Buddhistische Evangelien. 283 p. Lp. (1909), 4th ed. 1923.
– Diss. Das Udāna, eine kanonische Schrift d. Pāli-Buddhismus. 1. Allgemeine Einleitung. 7+76 p. Lp. 1913.
– Translated from Pāli: Khuddakapāṭha. 40 p. Breslau 1910; Pāli-Buddhismus in Übersetzungen. 12+470 p. Breslau 1911, 2nd ed. 16+394 p. Munich 1923; Udāna. 24+132 p. Augsburg 1920; Itivuttaka. Das Buch des Herrnworte. 76 p. Lp. 1922.
– Das System des Buddha. 28 p. Breslau 1911.
– Südbuddhistische Studien. 1. Die Buddha-Legende in den Skulpturen des Ānanda-Tempels zu Pagan. 154 p. 40 pl. Hamburg 1916.
– Handbuch der Pāli-Sprache. 1-3. 118+104+100 p. Lp. 1916-25.
– Zwölf Jātaka-Reliefs am Ananda-Tempel zu Pagan. 31 p. 12 ill. Untersuchungen zur Geschichte des Buddhismus 17. Hannover 1926 (from Z. für Buddh.).
– “Frühbuddhismus”, Z. f. Buddh.9, 1931, 193-259.
– Editor of several Buddhist magazines, many articles and translations in them.
– As Freydank wrote criticim of Christian religion, i.al. Buddha und Christus: Eine buddhistische Apologetik. 8+187 p. Lp. 1903.
Sources: D.G.K. 1935; D.T.McGetchin “Wayward disciples: Indology and Buddhism in fin-de-siècle Germany”, McGetchin et al. 2004, 307-336; Peiris, Buddhism 112 with photo, another in Stache-Rosen (both of poor quality); Stache-Rosen 1990, 188f.; *Ulrich Steinke, Karl Bernhard Seidenstücker (1876-1936): Leben, Schaffen, Wirken. (http://www.payer.de/steinke/steink00.htm(; Letzte Überarbeitung: 1996: Anlaß: Magisterarbeit, Universität Tübingen 1989); German Wikipedia.
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