SPIEGEL, Ludwig Friedrich Ernst (1880 von Sp.). Kitzingen near Würzburg 11.7.1820 — Munich 15.12.1905. German Indo-Iranian Scholar. Professor in Erlangen. N.D.B. does not know the first names of his parents, but his father was a Rentamtmann living in 1759–1830, mother née Dorsch. Matriculated from Ansbach, began 1839 studies of theology…
SPEYER, Jacob Samuel (Speijer). Amsterdam 20.12.1849 — Leiden 1.11.1913. Dutch Indologist. Professor in Amsterdam, Groningen and Leiden. Born in a Jewish family, son of the elder J. S. Speyer and Elizabet Calisch. Educated in Amsterdam, studied three years classics at Athenaeum there, then Sanskrit at Leiden (under Kern). Ph.D. 1872 Leiden.…
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.…
SMITH, Helmer. Boo, Stockholms län 26.4.1882 — Lidingö, Stockh. län 9.1.1956. Swedish Indologist. Professor in Uppsala. Son of an engineer, Karl Henning Smith (of distant British origin), and Fanny Sehlstedt (d. 1929). Matriculated from Stockholm in 1900. Studies at Uppsala: fil.kand. 1904, fil.lic. 1908. In 1909-20 further studies in Berlin,…
SŁUSZKIEWICZ, Eugeniusz Leonard. Jarosław in South-Eastern Poland 6.11.1901 — Warsaw 28.8.1981. Polish Indologist and Armenologist. Professor in Warsaw. Son of Franciszek Słuszkiewicz (1875–1944), a gymnasium teacher, and Severyna Solon (d. 1904). Educated at gymnasium in Bochnia. Studied from 1919 at Cracow classical philology, Slavistics, Germanic and IE linguistics, learnt Sanskrit…
SLIJEPČEVIĆ, Pero. Samobor near Gacka in Herzegovina 12.6.1888 — Belgrade 13.12.1964. Yugoslavian (Serbian) Author and Linguist. Educated in Mostar. Studies of German at Geneva and Fribourg in Switzerland. Ph.D. 1920 Fribourg. Professor of Germanistics at Sarajevo, after WW II at Belgrade. Publications: Diss. Buddhismus in der Deutschen Literatur. 4+127 p.…
SIMPSON, William. Glasgow 28.10.1823 — London 17.8.1899. British (Scottish) Artist. Of modest origin, with abusive and alcoholic father, from 1834 living with his grandmother in Perth. After a few years in school he became apprentice in a lithographic firm in Glasgow, eventually became famous as newspaper illustrator. He first illustrated…
SILBURN, Lilian. Paris 19.2.1908 — Le Vésinet (Yvelines) 19.3.1993. Mademoiselle. French Indologist. Daughter of English father, Walter John Silburn (1883–1928), and French mother, Berthe Hélène Dupuis (1880–1953). From 1938 studied philosophy, and soon also Indology under Masson-Oursel and Renou in Paris. Dissertation on Indian philosophy in 1949 in Paris. In…
SIERKSMA, Fokke Rypkes. Dantumawoude near Dokkum, Friesland 30.5.1917 — Leiden 22.8.1977. Dutch Scholar of Comparative Religion and Tibetan. Born in a religious family, son of Rijpke Sierksma and Janke Krol. Educated in Dokkum and Leeuwarden. From 1936 studies of theology at Groningen, but then interrupted because of the war Member…