SZERB, János. Budapest 7.1.1951 — Vienna 6.10.1988. Hungarian Tibetologist. Son of Dr. Antal Szerb and Klára Bálint. Studies at Budapest. Ph.D. 1982. In 1984-88 in Ö.A.W, Forschungsstelle für Kultur- und Geistesgeschichte Asiens, in Vienna. Interested in Tibetan history and religion, also including Mongolian Buddhism. Also a poet. Committed suicide. Married…
STEIN, Rolf Alfred. Schwetz (now Świecie in Kujavia-Pomerania, Poland) 13.6.1911 — Paris 9.10.1999. French (born German Jew) Sinologist and Tibetan Scholar. Professor in Paris. In 1919 when their home town was ceded to Poland, the family moved to Berlin. Youthful interest in occultism led him to Tibetology. Studied Chinese at…
SIMON, Ernst Julius Walter (Ximen Xuade). Berlin 10.6.1893 — London 22.2.1981. German Sinologist and Sino-Tibetan Scholar in the U.K. Professor in London. Son of mathematician Heinrich Simon (1859–1930) and Cläre Abraham (murdered in Ghetto Theresienstadt). Studies of classical and Romance philology in 1911-14 at Berlin, 1915-18 in army. Employed in…
NAKAMURA, Susumu Winston. California 17.3.1908 — Berkeley 15.6.1989. U.S. Buddhist Scholar. M.A. Studied Tibetan at Berkeley under Lessing (M.A.), but never completed his Ph.D. Taught Japanese as Lecturer at Universities of Colorado (in Boulder, during WW II) and Berkeley. Married Fumie Yanagisana, at least one son. Publications: “Pradakshina, a Buddhist…
SCHÄFFER, Philipp. Königsberg 16.11.1894 — Berlin-Plötzensee 16.5.1943. German Student of Indology, then Sinologist and Activist against Nazism. Son of an officer, grew up in St.Petersburg. Began studies there 1913 (Sanskrit), but 1914 the family was banished, as enemies, to Archangelsk. In 1918 they returned to St.Petersburg, but soon decided to…
SANDBERG, Samuel Louis Graham. Oughtibridge, Yorkshire 9.12.1851 — Bournemouth 2.3.1905. British Priest and Tibetan Scholar. Son of Paul Louis Sandberg (1819–1878), a vicar and former (1843-49) missionary in India, and Maria Graham. Educated in Liverpool and Birkenhead. B.A. 1870 Dublin University, then studied law and was called to the bar in…
POELMEIJER, Ronald Herman. Amsterdam 12.7.1946 — Amsterdam 30.6.1993. Dutch Tibetologist. Son of Hermanus P. and Lena Cornelia Hund. Studied Indology and Tibetan at Amsterdam, then Lecturer of Tibetan at Leiden. Never completed his doctorate. Publications: Reviews and popular articles. – With Ria Kloppenborg, “Visualizations in Buddhist Meditation”, Dirk van der…
PETER, Friedrich A. Leh, Ladakh 1904 — 1988. Swiss Priest and Tibetan Scholar. Son of Friedrich E. Peter (d. 1945), who was Herrnhutian Bishop in Ladakh. Himself originally an architect, but soon turned to theology and became a priest. In 1930 returned to Ladakh and worked at the mission station…
PELLIOT, Paul. Paris 28.5.1878 — Paris 26.10.1945. French Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of merchant Charles Théodore P. and Marie Renault, educated in Paris. Studied in Paris for diplomatic career, but soon turned to Indology and Sinology under Lévi, Chavannes and Cordier. In 1900 joined the…
LAMOTTE, Étienne. Dinant 21.2.1903 — Brussels 5.5.1983. Monseigneur. Belgian Indologist and Catholic Priest. Professor in Louvain. Born in a big family as the son of the court officer and historian Georges L. (1861–1952). After classical education in Dinant took ecclesiastic career like his brother. Now studied classical languages and scholastic…