WÜST, Walther. Kaiserslautern 7.5.1901 — Munich 21.3.1993. German Indologist and IE Linguist. Professor in Munich. Son of a teacher. From 1920 studies of German, French and Indology at Munich. Ph.D. 1923 Munich. PD 1926 Munich. From 1932 ao. Professor and from 1935 ord. (Oertel’s successor, now for “Arische Kultur- und und Sprachwissenschaft”) at Munich. Joined NSDAP 1933. As an active Nazi (Obersturmbannführer 1938), also having been among directors of Himmler’s Ahnenerbe Institut in 1937-45, he lost his chair in 1945 (and was internedin a labour campuntil 1948) and then taught as a Docent. From 1951 again ord. Professor at Munich, but without teaching or administrative duties, because of his Nazi background. Retired in 1961. He never got a proper academic position after 1945.
After war Wüst succesfully asserted his ignorance and innocense, and in 1950 was judged as “minderbelastet”, but Junginger presents (144ff.) more recently found evidence about his serious involvement in the worst kind of war crimes. Also many of his studies in the 1930s and 1940s reflect his “Aryan” ideas. After the war he mainly concentrated on comparative IE linguistics. Among his students were Aryendra Sharma (dr. 1939) andK. Hoffmann (Dr. 1941).
Publications: Diss. Schaltschatz im Ṛgveda. Manuscript of 6+256 p. München 1923; hab. diss. Stilgeschichte und Chronologie des Ṛgveda. 16+172 p. A.K.M. 17:4. Lp. 1928.
– “Vom Gestaltung des ṛgvedischen Dichtstils”, ZDMG 80, 1926, 161-171; “Das ṛgvedische tavāgā́m etymologisch”, ZII 4, 1926, 167-170; “Über die Alter des Ṛgveda und die Hauptfragen der indoarischen Frühgeschichte”, WZKM 34, 1927, 165-215; “Ein weiterer irano-skythischer Eigenname im Ṛgveda”, Ehrengabe W. Geiger 1931, 185-212 (also editor of the vol.); other articles.
– Indisch. 8+111 p. Geschichte der indogermanischen Sprachwissenschaft II:4. Heidelberg 1929
– Wortkundliche Beiträge zur arischen Kulturgeschichte. 1. 1934; “Wortkundliche Beitr. zur ar. Kulturgesch. und Welt-Anschauung II”, BSOS 8:2-3, 1936, 835-873.
– Vergleichendes und etymologisches Wörterbuch des Alt-Indoarischen (Altindischen). Fasc. 1-3. Indogerm. Bibliothek. Heidelberg 1935 (Einleitung & a).
– Das Reich: Gedanke und Wirkichkeit bei den alten Ariern. 9 p. Munich 1937; Deutsche Frühzeit und arische Geistesgeschichte. 28 p. Munich 1939; Indogermanisches Bekenntnis. Sechs Reden. 5+160 p. B. 1942, 2nd ed. 1943.
– “Altpersisches”, WZKM 47; W&S 20, 1939, 249-253; W&S 23, 1944-45, 52-61.
– “Tritā und Verwandtes”, W&S 21, 1940, 225-227.
– Rudrá- m.n.pr. 1955; Idg. peleku- “Axt, Beil”, eine paläolinguistische Studie. 145 p. Ann. Acad. Scient. Fennicae B 93:1. Helsinki 1956.
– Edited ΡΗΜΑ 1–, 1956–; contributed much himself, e.g. Altpersische Studien: sprach- und kulturgeschichtliche Beiträge zum Glossar der Achämeniden-Inschrifen. ΡΗΜΑ 8. Munich 1966; Von indogermanischer Dichtersprache. Probleme, Theorien, Pragmatisches. ΡΗΜΑ 12. 112 p. Munich 1969.
– “sṛṅkā-/sáṅkā- und Zubehör”, Nobel Vol. 1963, 254-276.
Sources: D.G.K. 1940/41, 1980; H. Junginger, “From Buddha to Adolf Hitler”, Junginger (ed.), The Study of Religion under the Impact of Fascism. Numen Book Series 117. Leiden 2008, 107-177; *M. Schreiber, W.W.. Dekan und Rektor der Universität München 1935–1945. Munich 2006 (with photos); German Wikipedia with further references. Photo in Sardesai, another in TITUS Galeria
Last Updated on 1 year by Admin
