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 Jewish 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…
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. Born in a peasant family, gymnasium in Riga. Studied Russian, Chinese and Manchu in Moscow and St.Petersburg. After a…
SCHÄFFER, Philipp Nikolai Woldemar. Königsberg 16.11.1894 — Berlin-Plötzensee 16.5.1943. German Student of Indology, then Sinologist, Communist 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…
PELLIOT, Paul. Paris 28.5.1878 — Paris 26.10.1945. French Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Charles Théodore Pelliot (1847–1935), an industrial chemist, and Marie Renault, educated in Paris (collège Massillon, lycée Charlemagne and collège Stanislas). Studied in Paris for diplomatic career at École des sciences politiques and…
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 Paul Marie. Dinant, prov. Namur 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 Lamotte (1861–1952). After classical education in Dinant took ecclesiastic career like his brother. Now studied…
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 and St. Julien. 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…
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 (1836–1893), a textile worker. As youngster worked in a solicitor’s office in Halifax. Interrupted his studies at London University deciding to become a missionary. Ordained priest 1882.…