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…
SCHMIDTS, Peter (Pēteris Šmits, Russian Pëtr Petrovič Šmidt). Rauna, Latvia (then of Russia) 25.12.1869 — Riga 5.6.1938. Latvian Linguist, Ethnographist and Sinologist. Professor of IE Antiquity and Baltic Philology at Riga. Studied Russian, Chinese and Manchu in Moscow and St.Petersburg. After a long visit to China he became Professor of…
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…
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…
MAYERS, William Frederick. Hobart, Tasmania 7.1.1831 — Shanghai 24.3.1878. British Diplomat and Sinologist in China. Son of Rev. Michael John Mayers (1801–1881), colonial chaplain in Tasmania, in 1842 back to the U.K. Grew up in Marseille, where his father was now consulate chaplain. After a few years as journalist in…
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…
SCHOTT, Wilhelm Christian. Mainz 3.9.1807 — Berlin 21.1.1889. German Fenno-Ugric and Central Asian Scholar, and Sinologist. Son of merchant Johann Wilhelm Schott and Elisabeth Wahl. Started as theology student at Giessen in 1819-21, but then switched to Oriental languages and studied them at Halle, first Arabic (Ph.D. 1823), soon also…
SPECHT, Edouard Prosper Emmanuel. Paris 26.2.1843 — Paris 2.3.1906. French Sinologist. Student of Pauthier. From 1892 until death taught Chinese at É.P.H.É., Section des sciences historiques et philologiques. As a Sinologist he concentrated on works dealing with India or translated from Sanskrit. He was one of those who tried to…
SOOTHILL, William Edward. Halifax, Yorkshire 23.1.1861 — Oxford 13.5.1935. Rev. British Missionary in China, then Sinologist and Buddhist Scholar. Son of William Soothill, a textile worker. Studies at London University. Ordained priest 1882. In 1882–1911 Wesleyan Missionary in China, first in Wenzhou and in the end (1907-11) as Director of…
SCHIERLITZ, Ernst. Schleissheim near Munich 13.1.1902 — Munich 11.2.1940. German Indologist and Sinologist in China. Son of Josef Schierlitz, a post employee, and his wife Franziska. Educated in Bamberg and Munich. After military service in 1917-19 matriculated in 1921 from Munich. Then studied at Munich literature and art history, soon…