WESSELSKI, Albert. Vienna 3.9.1871 — Prague 2.2.1939. Austrian Journalist and Folklorist in Czechoslovakia. Son of gymnasium professor Franz W. (d. 1875) and Franziska Reinkenhof. Gymnasium in Vienna, then studied there history of literature, but soon switched to engineering. Engineer 1897 Technische Hochschule Wien. In 1902-06 worked in Landesbauamt in Graz,…
WENDEL, François-Xavier. 1732? — Lakhnau 20.3.1803. Father. German Jesuit Missionary in India. Very little is known of his life. He arrived in India in 1751. First in Goa and Diu, from 1763 in Lakhnau, later also in Agra, but often ill. For a while he served the Rāja of Bhāratpur.…
WEINFURTER, Karel. Jičin, region Hradec Králové 27.5.1867 — Prague 14.3.1942. Czech Author and Translator. Son of Karel W. and his wife Antonia, the family moved to Prague in 1880. A Christian mystic interested in Yoga, Theosophy, astrology, etc. Apparently his Indian translations were made from English and German versions. Publications: Divy…
WASSON, Robert Gordon. Great Falls, Montana 22.9.1898 — Danbury, CT (or Binghampton, NY) 26.12.1986. U.S. “Ethnomycologist”. Studied at Columbia University. From 1928 worked in banks. For a while also worked for C.I.A. (1956). In 1979 living in Dunbury, Connecticut. Married 1927 Valentina Pavlovna Guercken (1901–1958), who participated in their ethnomycological…
WARREN, Herbert. 1866 — 1954. British Promoter of Jainism. Studied under Virchand Gandhi (1864–1901) and adopted Jainism, his books are based on Gandhi’s teaching. Publications: Jainism in Western Garb as a Solution to Life’s Great Problems. Arrah 1912, 2nd ed. 148 p. Arrah 1916; Jainism Not Atheism and the six dravyas…
WAIT, William Henry. McConnell, Illinois 1854? — Ann Arbor 28.2.1939. U.S. Linguist and Germanist. Son of Nelson W. and Mary Catherine Root. Graduated B.A. 1879 from Northwestern University, A.M. there 1882. Ph.D. 1888 Allegheny. From 1883 taught at Illinois Wesleyan University. Further studies at Berlin and Bonn 1894-95. In 1895-1901…
VYHNIS, Čeněk (Vincenz). Kostelec nad Labem, Central Bohemia 8.10.1842 — Prague 23.3.1897. Czech Schoolteacher interested in Indology. Studies in 1864-67 at Prague, mainly of classics and philosophy, also Sanskrit under Ludwig. Worked as gymnasium professor of classics in Hradec Králové, finally in Prague. Died of tuberculosis. His Vikramorvaśīya translation remained…
VOLCK, Johann Christoph Wilhelm. Nürnberg 18.11.1835 — Rostock 29.5.1904. German Oriental Scholar and Theologian in Estonia. Professor at Dorpat (Tartu) and Rostock. Son of a factory owner, Andreas Volck, and Karoline Schürer. In 1853-57 studied philology and theology at Erlangen (i.al. under Spiegel), for a while (1858-59) also at Leipzig.…
VIZEL’, Oskar Èmil’evič. St.Petersburg 1895 — Solikamsk, obl. Perm 6.3.1939. Russian Indologist, Tibetologist, Japanologist and Archaeologist. Born in an noble family of Austrian origin, son of Emil Anton Joseph Wiesel and Alexandra Hermina Strauss. From 1915 studies at St.Petersburg Oriental Faculty. In the 1920s worked in Ethnographic Kabinet in Petrograd,…
VAUX, William Sandys Wright. Oxford 28.2.1818 — Chelsea, London 21.6.1885. British Numismatist and Antiquarian. Son of Rev. William Vaux and Mary Hawkins, educated at Westminster School and graduated B.A. from Balliol College, Oxford, in 1840 (M.A. 1842). From 1841 worked in British Museum, in 1861–70 as Keeper of Coins and…