LESSING, Ferdinand Dietrich. Essen-Altenessen 26.2.1882 — Berkeley 31.12.1961. German Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar in the U.S.A. U.S. citizen 1946. Professor in Berkeley. Gymnasium in Lingen, matriculated in 1902. Studies of Chinese and Russian in Berlin (diplom 1905), guided by F. W. K. Müller. From 1907 on spent 17 years…
LESNÝ, Vincenc. Komárovice (Moravia) 3.4.1882 — Prague 9.4.1953. Czech Indologist. Professor in Prague. Born in a poor family, son of Baltazar Lesný and Victorie Sujerlova. After school first in a naval academy at Pula, from 1903 studies at Prague, of classical philology, IE and Indology (Zubatý and Winternitz). Ph.D. 1907/08…
LE ROUX DESHAUTESRAYES, Michel-Ange-André (des Hautesrayes). Conflans-Sainte-Honorine near Pontoise 10.9.1724 — Rueil Malmaison near Paris 9.2.1795. French Orientalist and Sinologist, a Pioneer of Buddhist Studies. Professor in Paris. Son of Antoine Le R. H. and Catherine Geneviève Fourmont. Through his mother nephew of the Orientalist brothers Etienne and Michel Fourmont,…
LEHMANN, Johannes Edvard. Copenhagen 19.8.1862 — Copenhagen 23.3.1930. Danish Scholar of Comparative and Iranian Religion. Professor in Lund (Sweden). Son of Heinrich L. (1815–1890), a medical Professor in a family of officials with German origin, and Signe Mackeprang (1819–1911). Matriculated in 1880 from Copenhagen, then studies of theology (under F.…
LEGGE, James. Huntly, Aberdeenshire 20.12.1815 — Oxford 29.11.1897. British (Scottish) Missionary and Sinologist. Professor in Oxford. Son of Ebenezer Legge, a prosperous businessman, and Elspeth Cruikshank (d. 1817). Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School. Studied mathematics and graduated 1835 from King’s College, Aberdeen, but then turned to theology. After studies Highbury…
LEFMANN, Salomon. Telgte near Münster 25.12.1831 — Heidelberg 14.1.1912. German Indologist. Professor in Heidelberg. Son of a Jewish merchant and farmer, educated privately in Paderborn. After seminary in Münster worked as teacher of Jewish religion in Westfalen. At the same time studied at the universities of Münster, Heidelberg and Berlin,…
LE COQ, Albert von. Dahlem, Berlin 8.9.1860 — Berlin 21.4.1930. German Archaeologist and Central Asian Scholar. Born in a huguenot family in Berlin, son of André Auguste Le Coq (1827–1894; knighted “von” 1875) and Marianne Poppe. He was educated at Französisches Gymnasium (Berlin) and at Darmstadt gymnasium, but was dismissed…
LA VALLÉE POUSSIN, Louis Étienne Marie de. Liège 1.1.1869 — Brussels 18.2.1938. Belgian Indologist, a specialist of Buddhism and History. Professor in Ghent. Son of a French father, Gustave de La V.P. (1829–1910), and Belgian mother, Marie Pauline de Monge (1845–1876), both of families with great scholarly interests. Educated in…
LASSEN, Christian. Bergen 22.10.1800 — Bonn 8.5.1876. Norwegian Indologist in Germany. Professor in Bonn. Son of Nicolai Christian Vendelboe L. (1748–1818), a lawyer, and Frederikke Elisabeth Frisch (1761–1830). Matriculated 1818 from Bergen school and after his father’s death went in 1819 with his mother to his married sister living in…
LAMAIRESSE, Pierre Eugène. Châlons-sur-Marne (now Châlons-en-Champagne) 14.7.1817 — Marengo (Hadjout), Algeria 17.4.1898. French Engineer interested in India. The youngest son of Jean-Baptiste-Cyprien L., an agriculturalist, studied at École polytechnique and became a hydraulic engineer. Served as engineer in French India in 1860–66 working on dams and other irrigation projects in…