STEIN, Otto. Saaz, Bohemia (now Žatec in Czech) 21.10.1893 — Łódz Ghetto ?.4.1942. Czechoslovakian (Bohemian Jew) Indologist. Professor in Prague. Son of hops dealer Alois Lazar Stein and Charlotte Gerstl. Studies of Indology, Classics and history at Prague German University under Winternitz, H. Svoboda, et al. Served in WW I in Italy (to army 1916, but released on medical grounds 1917). Ph.D. 1918 Prague. PD 1922 Prague German University, in 1930 succeeded Winternitz as Professor of Indology there (ao., 1935 ord.). In 1931-32 traveled in India. In 1939 dismissed as a Jew, planned to emigrate to England (where —> Randle was helping him), sent his books and papers in 1939, but was not able to follow them. In October 1941 he was sent together with his wifeGertrudato Łodzghetto, where both died in April 1942.
Although Stein published rather much, he himself considered them mainly preliminaries for greater works. He planed large monographies, i.al. on historical geography. His main interests were the ancient Greek accounts of India, the Arthaśāstra and Indian epigraphy. While his dissertation was still deemed somewhat unripe, his long RE-article on Megasthenes was the best what on his fragments had been written until then.
Publications: Rev. diss. publ. Megasthenes und Kauṭilya. 370 p. SWA 191:5. 1922.
– “Σῦριγξ und suruṅgā”, ZII 3, 1925, 280-318 & 4, 1926, 345-347; “Zur Datierung von Ptolemaios’ Geographie”, Philologus 81, 1926, 117-123; “Die Wundervölker Indiens bei Skylax”, Epitymbion, Heinrich Swoboda dargebracht. Prag 1927, 311-319 (repr. in Stein 1985, 90–98); “Māyā in a Greek Papyrus (?)”, JPTS 1924-27, 251-257; “Indien in den griechischen Papyri”, Indologica Pragensia 1, 1929, 34-57; “The coronation of Candragupta Maurya”, ArO 1, 1929, 354-371; “Graeco-Indian Notes”, BSOS 7:1, 1933, 55-68; “Yavanas in early Indian inscriptions”, IC 1, 1934-35, 343-357; “Das indische Pferdeopfer bei Philostratos”, ArO 8, 1936, 357-362.
– “Ein Yoga-Prahasana”, Indologica Pragensia 1, 1929, 9-33 (Bhagavadajjuka).
– “Megasthenes”, RE XV, 1932, c. 230-326; “Taxiles”, RE VA, 1934, c. 78-85; Many articles on Indian place names in RE XVI, 1935 (e.g. Nelkynda, c. 2281-2285); RE XVII, 1937 (Νῦσα 12) Stadt, Gegend, Berg in Indien, 1640-1654); RE VIA, 1937 (Τιλάδαι, 1028-1034, Τιλόγραμμον, 1041-1043); RE XIX, 1938 (Πευκελαῶτις, 1392-1395); RE XVIII:1 (35), 1939 (Oreitai, 942-951); RE VIIA (13), 1939; RE XVIII:1 (36:1), 1942 (Ὀξυδράκαι, 2024-2032); RE VIIA (14), 1948; and RE XX, 1950.
– “Arthaśāstra and Śilpaśāstra”, ArO 7-10, 1935-38; other articles.
– Kleine Schriften. Hrsg. von F. Wilhelm. 663 p. Glasenapp-St. 25. Wb. 1985.
Sources: JRAS 1946, 93f.; J. Hanneder, “The Legacy of O.S. – New Evidence”, ZDMG 164, 2014, 811-816; V. Petrbik, Ö.B.L. 13, 2007-10, 155; F. Wilhelm, N.D.B. 25, 2013, 157f. and Vorwort with bibliography in Kl. Schriften; Kdo byl kdo – čeští a slovenští orientalisté; *ABORI 68, 1987, 621-625; German Wikipedia; photo in Rau 123, also in Sardesai, another in holocaust.cz.
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