STRAUSS, Otto. Berlin 18.10.1881 — Bloemendaal, Netherlands 20.10.1940. German Indologist. Professor in Breslau. Son of banker Moritz Strauss and Hermine Massenbach. Studied Indology, philosophy and art history at Munich, Berlin and especially Kiel (Oldenberg, Deussen). From Deussen got the interest in Indian philosophy. Ph.D. 1905 Kiel (under Oldenberg). PD 1911 Kiel. From 1913 Professor of Comparative Philology at University of Calcutta, in 1915-20 interned in Ahmednagar (studied Russian). In 1920 resumed his docentship at Kiel, 1921 ao. Professor there. In 1928 succeeded Liebich as ord. Professor at Breslau. As a Jew, he was forced to resign in 1935. He lived some time in Berlin, then at his friends in Bloemendaal, Netherlands, and died there of angina pectoris. Married in 1920 Katharina Wittkopf (1889–1974).
Strauss was an important pioneer of Indian philosophy in Germany. While Deussen still had few texts and mixed Western ideas in his interpretation of them, Strauss applied strict philological methods to the sources. His greatest interest was in the Mīmāṁsā school. He also worked on Sanskrit grammar. Amog his students were K. Marschner, E. Pax and W. Liebenthal.
Publications: Diss. Bṛhaspati im Veda. 59 p Lp. 1905.
– “Über den Stil der philosophischen Partieen des Mahābhārata”, ZDMG 62, 1908, 661-670; with Deussen: Vier philosophische Texte aus dem Mahābhārata. 18+1010 p. Lp. 1906.
– Habil.diss. (Kiel) Ethische Probleme aus dem Mahābhārata. 143 p. Firenze 1912 (also in GSAI 24, 1911, 193-335).
– Translated: Viśvanātha Pañcānana Bhaṭṭācārya: Kārikāvalī mit des Verfassers eigenem Kommentar Siddhāntamuktāvalī. 11+133 p. A.K.M. 16:1. Lp. 1922.
– Indische Philosophie. 286 p. Munich 1925.
– “Zur Definition der Vyāpti in der Siddhāntamuktāvalī”, ZII 3, 1925, 116-139; “Altindische Spekulationen über die Sprache und ihre Probleme”, ZDMG 81, 1927, 89-151; “Udgīthavidyā”, SBeAW 1931, 243-310; other articles & reviews.
– “Indische Religion”, C. Clemen, Religionen der Erde. 1927, 2nd ed. by E. Waldschmidt. 1949, 87-131.
– “Die älteste Philosophie der Karma-Mīmāṁsā”, SBeAW 1932, 469-532.
– Kleine Schriften. Hrsg. von F. Wilhelm. 585 p. Glasenapp-St. 24. Wb. 1983.
Sources: Elpidius Pax, ZDMG 100, 1950, 42-48 with photo (also in Rau 107); Stache-Rosen 1990, 199f.; Fr. Wilhelm, N.D.B. 25, 203, 515f.
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