ZIESENISS, Wilhelm Alexander. Börnsen bei Lauenburg 11.3.1899 — Breslau 11.4.1945. German Indologist and South-East Asian (Malay and Javanese) Scholar. Son of merchant Karl Hermann Zieseniss and Mary Matthew (from Scotland). Matriculated in 1917 from Hansaschule in Bergedorf. Studied at Heidelberg Arabic (Bezold) and Sanskrit (Liebich), a brief period at Freiburg…
ZIEGENBALG, Bartholomäus. Pulsnitz, Saxony 14.6.1683 (or 10.6.1682?) — Tranquebar, India 23.2.1719. German Missionary and Precursor of Indology (Tamil Scholar). In South India 1706-19. Son of the elder B.Z. (1640–1694), a modest grain merchant, and Maria Brückner (1646–1692). After gymnasium in Görlitz and Berlin, studied one year under A. H. Francke…
ZAEHNER, Robert Charles. Sevenoaks, Kent 8.4.1913 — Oxford 24.11.1974. British Scholar of Comparative Religion, especially Iranian and Indian. Professor in Oxford. Son of Swiss-German immigrants to England. Educated at Tonbridge School. From 1932 studied at Christ Church College, Oxford, i.al. classics, Persian and Iranian, also Sanskrit and Arabic, 1936-37 Middle Persian…
OVSJANIKO-KULIKOVSKIJ, Dmitrij Nikolaevič (Ukr. Dmitro Mikolajovič O.-K.). Kahovka, Tavrida guv. 23.1.(4.2.)1853 — Odessa 9.10.1920. Ukrainian Linguist, Indologist and Critic. Professor in Harkiv (Kharkiv), Academician in St.Petersburg. Born in a noble family, son of Nikolaj Nikolaevič O.-K. and Varvara Nikolaevna Rud’. After gymnasium in Simferopol studies of Sanskrit and linguistics in…
OTTO, Rudolf Louis Karl. Peine, Hannover 25.9.1869 — Marburg 6.3.1937. German Lutheran Theologian and Scholar of Religion. Professor in Marburg. Son of Wilhelm Otto (1809–1882), a factory owner, and Katharine Reupke (1818–1911), lost his father in the age of 12. Matriculated 1888 from Hildesheim, studied theology at Erlangen and Göttingen.…
ONDAATJE, Matthew Jurgen. 1??? — 1???. Rev. Dutch Priest in Ceylon and Batavia in the 18th century. Proponent of Colombo, alter clergyman in Batavia. Published Christian works in Sinhalese in the 1780s. There was another, Rev. W. J. Ondaatje, V.D.M., who was Rector of Government Seminary in Colombo around 1770.…
OMAN, John Campbell. Calcutta 1841 — 31.5.1911. British Indologist and Scholar of Religion in India. Son of the elder John Campbell Oman, a planter, and Maria Eweler. In 1866-77 in Indian Public Works Department. In 1877-97 Professor at Government College in Lahore, then retired. In 1898-99 Principal of Khalsa College…
OLTRAMARE, Jean Paul Gamaliel. Geneva 6.4.1854 — Geneva 22.10.1930. Swiss Indologist and Scholar of Religion. Professor in Geneva. Son of André O. (1822–1896), the Professor of Latin at Geneva University, of an old Genevan family, and and Jeanne Louise Adrienne Fournier. Studies of sciences and humanities at Geneva in 1872-75…
OLSHAUSEN, Justus. Hohenfelde, Holstein 9.5.1800 — Berlin 28.12.1882. German Oriental Scholar and Theologian. Professor in Kiel and Königsberg. Son of Rev. (later Superintendent) Detlev Olshausen (1766–1823) and Ida Hoyer (1771–1804), younger brother of theologian Hermann Olshausen (1796–1839). After school in Eutin and Glückstadt, studied in 1816-19 at Kiel and 1819-20…
OLSCHAK, Blanche Christine. Vienna 24.7.1913 — Zürich 25.6.1989. Austrian Journalist and Tibetan Scholar in Switzerland. Daughter of Joseph Olschak, an officer (General-Major), and Lilly Helene Bücheler. Studied Political Science at Graz (Ph.D. 1937), then Tibetan and Buddhism, a follower of A. David-Neel. From 1946 living in Zürich (after her husband…