HOFFMANN, John-Baptist (Johann Baptist). Wallendorf, Eifel 21.6.1857 — 19.11.1928. S.J. German Missionary in Chota Nagpur, India. Born in Germany, son of Gerhard Hoffmann and Margaretha Lorenz. Educated in Echternach and Luxembourg. Joined S.J. as novice in Arlon, Belgium in 1877 and immediately left for India. Worked as teacher in Calcutta…
HOFFMANN, Johann Christian. Bischhausen bei Eschwege, Hessen 1651 — Heckershausen bei Kassel 1682. German Priest and Traveller in India. Studied theology. In his voyage 1671-76 he visited Cape Colony, Mauritius, India and Indonesia, in a Dutch East Indian Company’s ship. Back in Germany he was preacher in Heckerhausen. Publications: Oost-Indianische…
HOFFMANN, Helmut. Flensburg 24.8.1912 — Holzkirchen (Oberbayern) 8.10.1992. German Indologist and Tibetologist in the U.S.A. Professor in Munich and Bloomington. Son of Erich Hoffmann, a teacher. Gymnasium in Flensburg. From 1931-32 studies of Sanskrit and classics ar Freiburg i.Br., soon Indology, Iranian and Central Asian languages at Berlin, student of…
HOFFMANN, Ernst Lothar (Lama Anagarika B. Govinda). Waldheim, Sachsen 14.1.1898 — Mill Valley, California 14.1.1985. German Bauddha. Son of a German father, the owner of a cigar factory, and Bolivian mother, who died when he was three. Became early interested in Buddhism through Schopenhauer. Matriculated in Hannover, in WW I…
HOFFMANN, Andreas Gottlieb. Welbsleben, Grafschaft Mansfeld (Sachsen-Anhalt) 13.4.1796 — Jena 16.3.1864. German Orientalist and Theologian (a specialist of Syriac) also interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Jena. Son of a miller, educated in Egeln and at Domgymnasium in Magdeburg. Without matriculation he voluntarily joined light infantry against the French in 1813.…
HOEFER, Karl Gustav Albert. Greifswald 2.10.1812 — Greifswald 9.1.1883. German Indologist. Professor in Greifswald. Son of Carl Andreas Hoefer (1781–1853), a judge, and Christiane Sophie Waldeck (d. 1834). Studied from 1832 classical, Oriental and German philology at Greifswald, Berlin, Göttingen and Königsberg, especially under Kosegarten, Ewald, J. Grimm, Lachmann and…
HITZ, Sophie Luise. Munich 13.1.1835 — Munich 1.5.1906. German Schoolteacher and Poet interested in Sanskrit Literature. Daughter of Hans Conrad Hitz (1798–1866), a painter, and Luise Hahnhart, family originally from Switzerland. Obtained the modest education then offered to women and started her literary career in 1882. Active for the rights of…
HIRTH, Friedrich. Gräfentonna, Sachsen-Coburg-Gotha 16.4.1845 — Munich 9.1.1927. German Sinologist in the U.S.A. Spent 25 years in China, then Professor in New York. Son of Georg Hirth (1807–1857), a lawyer, and Louise Drevelle du Frênes (1819–1860). Educated at Gotha Gymnasium, in 1865-68 studies of classical philology at Leipzig, Berlin and…
HIRT, Herman(n) Alfred. Magdeburg 19.12.1865 — Giessen 12/20.9.1936. German IE scholar. Professor in Giessen. Son of the master carpenter Karl Heinrich Hirt (1832–1891) and Bertha Bollmann, educated in Magdeburg. Studies of Sanskrit and IE linguistics at Leipzig and Freiburg, under Brugmann, Leskien, Zarncke, Sievers and Windisch. Ph.D. 1889. Travelled in…
HINZ, Walther. Stuttgart 19.11.1906 — Göttingen 12.4.1992. German Oriental and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Göttingen. Son of a merchant, lost early his parents. In 1926-30 studied at Leipzig, Munich and Paris, first journalism, but soon switched to East European history, Slavistics, Turkish and Persian (under Schaeder and Massé). Ph.D. 1930…