BERGMANN, Benjamin Fürchtegott Balthasar von. Arrasch, Livonia (now Āraiši in Latvia) 17(28).11.1772 — Blussen b. Wenden (now Blusu near Cēsis, Latvia) 16(28).8.1856. German (Livonian) Priest and Traveller, a Pioneer of Lamaist Studies. Son of Gustav Bergmann (1787 von B.; 1749–1814, priest and scholar) and Beata Elisabeth Meder. Educated at Domschule…
BENFEY, Theodor. Nörten bei Göttingen 28.1.1809 — Göttingen 26.6.1881. German Indologist and IE Scholar. Professor in Göttingen. Born in a Jewish family, son of Isaak Benfey (1763–1832), a merchant and Talmud scholar, who also taught Hebrew to his son, and Caroline Salomon (1774–1838). School and from 1824 studies in Göttingen…
BENARY, Franz Simon Ferdinand. Kassel 22.3.1805 — Berlin 7.2.1880. German Indologist and Orientalist. Professor in Berlin. Born in Kassel in a Jewish family, as a son of the banker Salmon Levy (1770–1828; from 1818 Benary) and Gutheil Meilert (1778–1833), brother of —> Agathon Benary (1807–1860)., himself took Christianity in 1829.…
BENARY, Karl Albert Agathon. Kassel 17.1.1807 — Berlin 6.12.1860. German Classical and IE scholar. Teacher in Berlin. Born in Kassel as a son of the Jewish banker Salmon Levy (1770–1828; from 1818 Benary) and Gutheil Meilert (1778–1833), brother of —> Ferdinand Benary (1805–1880). After school in Göttingen and Erfurt he…
BEER, Eduard Friedrich Ferdinand. Bautzen, Upper Lusatia 15.6.1805 — Leipzig 5.4.1841. German Epigraphist and Semitic Scholar, a Pioneer of Cuneiform Studies. Son of a master tailor, Leonhard Beer (1775–1827) and Erdmuthe Apelt. Gymnasium in Bautzen. Studied Oriental languages at Leipzig from 1824-33. Father’s death in 1827 brought financial problems, and…
BECKER, Christophorus (born Christoph Edmund B.). Elsoff near Frankfurt 22.10.1875 — Würzburg 30.3.1937. S.D.S. German Catholic Missionary in India and Scholar of Missiology and Indian Ethnography. A Salvatorian from the age of 14. Studied philosophy and theology in Rome, dr.theol. and ordained priest 1898. Docent 1900 in Meran. Also Dr.phil.…
BECHTEL, Fritz (Friedrich). Durlach 2.2.1855 — Halle 9.3.1924. German IE Scholar. Professor in Göttingen and Halle. Son of Johann Friedrich Bechtel, a deacon, and Emilie Harrer. After a brief time of theology in Heidelberg studied at Göttingen IE linguistics under Benfey, Bezzenberger, A. Fick, et al. Ph.D. 1876 Göttingen, then…
BAYER, Theophilus (Gottlieb) Siegfried. Königsberg 5/6.1.1694 — St.Petersburg 10.2.1738. German Orientalist and Historian, from Königsberg, was elected to the Imperial Russian Academy of Sciences and moved to St.Petersburg. In Russian his name is variously spelled as Beer, Beèr, and Bajer’. Son of painter Johann Friedrich Bayer and Anna Katharina Porath,…
BAUNACK, Paul Theodor. Trebsen bei Grimma (east of Leipzig) 21.2.1861 — Leipzig 3.9.1932. German Philologist and Indo-Iranian Scholar. Teacher in Leipzig. Son of school inspector Gottlob Franz Baunack, brother of —> Johannes Baunack (1854–1928). After school in Leipzig studied from 1880 at Leipzig classics, linguistics and Sanskrit (under Curtius, Brockhaus,…
BAUNACK, Johannes Fürchtegott. Trebsen bei Grimma (east of Leipzig) 22.12.1854 — 1928. German Philologist. Son of school inspector Gottlob Franz Baunack, brother of —> Theodor Baunack (1861–1932). Attended Leipzig. Gymnasium 1866-74, then studied classical philology, IE linguistics and Indo-Iranian languages at Leipzig University under i.al. Curtius, Zarncke, Brockhaus and Kuhn.…