GIL’FERDING, Aleksandr Fedorovič (Alexander Hilferding). Warsaw 2.7.1831 — Kargopol, Arhangelsk oblast 20.7.1872. Russian Historian, Slavic Linguist and Folklorist interested in Sanskrit, a Slavophil. Public servant. Son of Fëdor Ivanovič Gil’ferding (d. 1864), a civil servant, and Amalija Jakovlevna Vitte (d. 1841), ancestors came from Germany in the early 18th century.…
GILDEMEISTER, Johannes Gustav. Klein-Piemen (now Kröpelin), Mecklenburg 20.7.1812 — Bonn 11.3.1890. German Indologist and Orientalist. Professor in Marburg and Bonn. Born in Mecklenburg countryside in a Bremenian patrician family, son of Johann Gildemeister (1784–1844), a merchant and journalist, and Maria Anne Catharine Wienholt (1786–1856). Gymnasium in Bremen, learned there Hebrew…
GILCHRIST, John Borthwick (born John Hay G.). Edinburgh 19.6.1759 — Paris 9.1.1841. British (Scottish) Indologist, a Pioneer of Hindi-Urdu Studies. Son of merchant Walter Gilchrist and Henrietta Farquharson (1730–1830), lost his father at the age of one. After school in Edinburgh studies of medicine at George Heriot’s Hospital, Edinburgh. Joined…
GHEYN, Joseph-Marie-Martin van den. Ghent 25.5.1854 — Brussels 29.1. 1913. S.J. Belgian scholar of Religion, Ethnology, Sanskrit and Theology. Son of Edouard van den Gheyn (1814–1888), Professor of chemistry, and Clementia de Gottal. School in Ghent, joined Jesuit order in 1871 in Drongen. Studies at Louvain (Leuven) under de Harlez,…
GERINI, Gerolamo Emilio. Cisano sul Neva (Albenga), prov. Savona 10.3.1860 — Turin 11.10.1913. Italian Officer and South-East Asian Scholar in Thailand. Colonel. Son of Carlo Gerini, Professor of Oenology in Turin, and Veronica Rosso. After Military Academy of Modena he served in Italian army 1879-81. From 1881 twentyfive years in…
GEORGIAN, Constantin D. Bucharest 2.1.1850 — 26.11.1904. Romanian Indologist, the First Schooled Oriental Scholar of his Country. Son of a shopkeeper, matriculated in Bucharest in 1869. Graduated at Bucharest University in 1872 with a dissertation on Sallustius and obtained a scholarship. In 1872-75 studied in Paris classical and Romance philology…
GEORGE, Dieter. Frankurt a.M. 12.12.1935 — 8.9.1985. German Indologist. Son of Diplomvolkswirt Walter George and Renate Robertson. In 1938 the family moved to Darmstadt, where he began school. In 1947 to Oberschule in Kassel and in 1948-56 at Gymnasium in Hofgeismar. From 1956 studies of Indology at Marburg under Nobel…
GEMINIANUS A SANCTA OCTAVIA (wrongly Gemignanus a Sancto Octavio, Gemignano Da Sant’ Ottavio). Modena 1702? — on sea near Corfu, January 1763. Italian Carmelite Missionary in South India. Joined the Mahe Mission in 1733, in 1733-35 served in Verapoly, 1735-41 in again Mahe. Probably came to Europe in 1741, 1743…
GELPKE, Fritz Ludwig. Northeim, Hannover 29.12.1896 — 1945. German Indologist. Son of physician Joh. Gelpke and Ottilie Doecks. Gymnasium in Northeim. Participated in WW I and never really recovered. Studies of Indology, Persian and ancient history at Göttingen (Wackernagel, Oldenberg, et al.) and Rostock. After a long interval because of…
GELDNER, Karl Friedrich Eugen. Saalfeld (Sachsen-Meiningen) 17.12.1852 — Marburg/Lahn 5.2.1929. German Indologist and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Marburg. Son of Christian Friedrich Geldner (1821–1890), a minister (archdeacon), and Emma Müller (1822–1876). After school in Hildeburghausen studied from 1871 at Leipzig Indology (under Brockhaus and Windisch) and classical philology, from 1872…