WOLFF, Joseph. Weilersbach near Bamberg 1795 — Isle Brewers, Somerset 2.5.1862. Rev. German Priest, Oriental Scholar and Traveller in Central Asia. Born in a Jewish family, his father David Wolff was a rabbi, his mother was Sarah. Educated in Stuttgart and Bamberg. After conversion to Catholic Christianity near Prague in…
WOLFF, Fritz Georg. Berlin 11.11.1880 — Auschwitz after 31.3.1943. German Iranian Scholar. Son of a wealthy merchant, Emanuel Wolff (1850–1901), and Hedwig née Wolff (1860–1935). Educated in Berlin, then studied many languages at Munich, Heidelberg (i.al. Osthoff), Berlin and Giessen. Ph.D. 1905 Giessen, under Bartholomae. Lived some time in Münster,…
WOLFENDEN, Stuart N. 1889 — 28.12.1938 (when 47). U.S. Tibeto-Burman Linguist. At University of California, Berkeley. Wolfenden was one of the pioneers of comparative Tibeto-Burman linguistics. Publications: Outlines of Tibeto-Burman Linguistic Morphology with special reference to the prefixes, infixes and suffixes of classical Tibetan and the languages of the Kachin, Bodo,…
WOEPCKE (Woepke, Wöpcke), Franz. Dessau 6.5.1826 — Paris 25.3.1864, when 37. German Oriental (Arabic) Scholar and Historian of Mathematics in France. Son of postmaster Ernst Ludwig Wöpcke (1784–1868) and Wilhelmine Chapon (1792–1870), educated in Dessau. From 1843 studies of mathematics at Berlin. Ph.D. 1847 Berlin. Now studied Arabic at Bonn…
WISSMANN, Friedrich Wilhelm Hans. Berlin 27.2.1899 — Munich 21.12.1966. German IE Linguist. Son of bank clerk Otto Wissmann, gymnasium in Berlin. From 1917 military service, from 1919 studied under Schulze at Berlin. Ph.D. 1930, then worked as Assistant at Berlin. PD 1938 Berlin, in 1939 he moved to Halle, but had…
WISER, William Hen(d)ricks. Pottstown, Pa 28.1.1890 — Uniontown, Pa 21.2.1961. U.S. Presbyter Missionary and Anthropologist in India. Graduated B.A. from the University of Chicago. Ph.D. 1933 Cornell, in rural organization. In 1915 left for India, worked first at Allahabad Agricultural Institute, then also in Kanpur and in 1925-30 in Karimpur…
WISE, Thomas Alexander. Dundee 13.6.1802 (?) — Norwood, London 23.7.1889. British (Scottish) Physician in India. Son of Thomas Wise, also a physician. Graduated in medicine, Edinburgh 1824. In 1827-51 in Indian Medical Service, soon became interested in Āyurveda. He studied Sanskrit and achieved an extensive collection of artefacts illustrating the…
WIRTZ, Johannes (Hans) Friedrich Albert. Mülheim am Rhein (near Köln) 22.1.1867 — Ibid. 1942. German Sinologist and former Student of Indology. Son of Wilhelm Wirtz, a merchant, lost his mother in 1870 and father 1885. School in Mülheim, gymnasium 1879-83 in Bonn and 1883-87 in Gütersloh. After one term of…
WINTERNITZ, Moriz. Horn/Nieder-Österreich 23.12.1863 — Prague 9.1. 1937. Austrian Indologist in Czechoslovakia. Professor in Prague. Son of a modest Jewish shop-keeper, Bernhard W. and Theresia Robitschek. Gymnasium in Horn. In 1880-85 studied at Vienna classics and philosophy, soon also Sanskrit (under Bühler). Ph.D. 1886 Vienna. In 1886-91 Assistant to Max…
WINSTEDT, Richard Olaf. Oxford 2.8.1878 — Putney, London 2.6.1966. Sir. British South-East Asian (Malay) Scholar. Son of a naturalized Swedish father and English mother, Sarah Castell. Educated at Magdalen College School and New College, Oxford. In 1902 joined Malayan Civil Service, served first in Perak. From 1913 District Officer at…