STENZLER, Adolf Friedrich. Wolgast, Pommern 9.7.1807 — Breslau 27.2.1887. German Indologist. Professor in Breslau. Born in the then Swedish Pomerania, son of Archdeacon (1829 Superintendent) Lorenz Stenzler (1775–1835) and Charlotte Droysen, educated in Wolgast and Friedland in Mecklenburg. In 1826-29 studies of Theology at Greifswald (also Oriental languages under Kosegarten) and Berlin, where he as Bopp’s student turned to Sanskrit. Ph.D. 1829 Berlin. Further studies at Bonn, Paris and London, turned from Bopp’s linguistic school into philology (A. W. von Schlegel: “ganz entboppiert”). From 1833 until his death Professor at Breslau (first ao., ord. from 1847). As Professor of Oriental languages he also lectured on Persian and Arabic texts. Until 1872 also University Librarian. Married Marie von Liebenroth (1815–1892), no children.
Stenzler was one of the great scholars of the developing Indology, an excellent textual critic and editor. As early as 1847 he understood not to correct good Prākrit readigs according to Vararuci’s rules. His first interest was classical Sanskrit poetry, later he was much interested in Dharmaśāstra and Gṛhyasūtra, even in medical literature. In interpretation he leaned much on Indian commentaries. He was also a lexicographer, who prepared word-lists to his editions and collaborated in the PW (Manu). In the small university he had not many students, although his name attracted them from everywhere. Among his students were thus Weber, Kielhorn, T. W. Rhys Davids, Eggeling, Pischel, Scherman, Kühnau, and Hillebrandt, who became his successor at Breslau. His Elementarbuch, eventually in revised form, has been the most popular textbook of Sanskrit in German universities and even elsewhere (the present writer learned elementary Sanskrit from it in the early 1970s).
Publications: Diss. Brahma-Vaivarta-Purani specimen. Textum è codice manusc. bibliothecæ regiæ Berolinensis edidit, interpretationem latinam adjecit et commentationem mythologicam et criticam præmisit. 54 p. Berolini 1829.
– Edited: Raghuvansa Kalidasae Carmen, Sanskrite et Latine ed. 10+177+173 p. L. 1832; Kumára Sambhava Kalidasae Carmen, Skr. et Latine. 4+139 p. B. 1838; Mritchhakati: id est curriculum figlinum Sudrakae regis fabula. 8+332 p. Bonnae 1848; translated Sāvitrī, published under his own name by Th. Pavie. P. 1841 (see Liebich, ZDMG 41, 1887, 746).
– Juris criminalis Indorum specimen. 10 p. Vratislavae 1842.
– De lexicographiae Sanscritae principiis commentatio. 30 p. Breslau 1847.
– Edited & transl.: Yâjnavalkya’s Gesetzbuch. 12+134+127 p. B. 1849.
– “Ueber Pâraskaras Gṛihya-Sûtra”, ZDMG 7, 1853, 527-541; Commentationis de domesticis Indorum ritibus particula. 15 p. Breslau 1860.
– Über die Wichtigkeit des Sanskrit-Studiums und seine Stellung an unseren Universitäten. 15 p. Breslau 1863.
– Edited & transl.: Gṛhya-Sūtra. Indische Hausregeln. 1. Āśvalāyana. 1. Text. 2. Übersetzung. 2. Pāraskara. 1-2. A.K.M. 3:4, 4:1, 6:2, 6:4. Lp. 1864-78; Wortverzeichnis zu den Hausregeln von Āśvalāyana, Pāraskara, Çāṅkhāyana und Gobhila. 120 p. A.K.M. 9:1. Lp. 1886 (specimen of Pāraskara in 15 p. Breslau 1855).
– Elementarbuch der Sanskrit-Sprache: Grammatik, Texte, Wörterbuch. Breslau 1868, Fortgeführt von R. Pischel (6th ed. 4+116 p. 1892), umgearbeitet von K. F. Geldner. 122 p. 17th ed. B. 1980; English transl. by R. Söhnen, Primer of the Sanskrit Language. 157 p. L. 1992.
– Edited: Megha-Dûta, Gedicht von Kâlidâsa, mit kritischen Anmerkungen und Wörterbuch. 6+74 p. Breslau 1874; The Institutes of Gautama. 4+78 p. L. 1876.
Sources: Buckland, Dictionary; *A. Hillebrandt, BB 16, 1890, 175-180 and another contribution in his Kleine Schriften. 1987, 470-475; *W. Par, Pommersche Lebensbilder 3, 1939, 284-296; Pischel, A.D.B. 36, 1893, 59-61; Stache-Rosen 1990, 30f.; Stache-Weiske 2017, 202-205, 562; Windisch 219-222; JRAS 1887, 526-528; Wikipedia with photo (abridged from German version); photo in Indology in G.D.R. 1978 and in Rau 16.
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