LESSING, Ferdinand Dietrich (Diedrich). Essen-Altenessen 26.2.1882 — Berkeley, Calif. 31.12.1961. German Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar in the U.S.A. U.S. citizen 1946. Professor in Berkeley. Son of Edward Lessing (1854–1926) and Elisabeth Brockhaus. Gymnasium in Lingen, matriculated in 1902. Studies of Chinese and Russian in Berlin (diplom 1905), guided by…
LE ROUX DESHAUTESRAYES, Michel-Ange-André (des Hautesrayes, des Hautes-Rayes). 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 Roux Hautesrayes and Catherine Geneviève Fourmont. Through his mother nephew of the Orientalist brothers Etienne and…
LEGGE, James. Huntly, Aberdeenshire 20.12.1815 — Oxford 29.11.1897. British (Scottish) Missionary and Sinologist. Professor in Oxford. Son of Ebenezer Legge (1772–1848), a prosperous businessman, and Elspeth Cruikshank (1781–1817). Educated at Aberdeen Grammar School. Studied mathematics and graduated 1835 from King’s College, Aberdeen, but then turned to theology. After studies Highbury…
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 Vallée Poussin (1829–1910), and Belgian mother, Marie Pauline de Monge de Franeau (1845–1876), both of families with great scholarly…
LAUFER, Berthold. Köln 11.10.1874 — Chicago 13.9.1934. German Sinologist and Anthropologist in the U.S.A. Son of Max Laufer (of Jewish background) and Eugenie Schlesinger, a wealthy family. His younger brother was —> Heinrich Laufer (1877–1925). After gymnasium in Cologne studied at Berlin 1893-95, first law, but soon ethnology and Oriental…
KRESSLER, August Eduard Oscar. Konstanz 16.4.1876 — Hongkong 1970. German Japanologist, began as Indologist. Son of a postal officer, educated in Aachen, Colmar (Alsace) and Wernigerode. From 1896 studies of Sanskrit, Latin and Oriental philology at Leipzig (Windisch, et al.), one term at Geneva, then at Strassburg (E. Leumann). Ph.D.…
KLAPROTH, Heinrich Julius von. Berlin 11.10.1783 — Paris 28.8.1835. German Oriental Scholar in Russia and France. Son of the mineralogist and chemist (discoverer of uranium) Martin-Heinrich Klaproth (1743–1817) and Christine Sophie Lehmann (1748–1803). Gymnasium in Berlin. As a fifteen years old schoolboy he started the study of Chinese from Bayer’s…
KIRCHER, Athanasius. Geisa near Fulda 2.5.1602 (or 1601) — Rome 27.11.1680. Father. S.J. German Polyhistor and Oriental Scholar, a Pioneer of Coptology, a Precursor of Egyptology, a Sinologist, etc. Son of Johann Kircher, Doctor of Divinity and teacher of Benedictines, and Anna Gansek. Novice of S.J. 1618 in Paderborn, took…
KINGSMILL, Thomas William. Dublin 8.1.1837 — Shanghai 26.7.1910. British civil engineer (architect) and geologist, from end 1862 until his death in Shanghai. Son of Henry Kingsmill (1798?–1868) and Sarah Stone. “Was chiefly engaged in exploration and surveying work in China, especially geological work.” Active member of the North China Branch…
KAROW, Otto. Magdeburg 29.9.1913 — Bad Homburg 6.8.1992. German Sino-Japanologist. After school in Magdeburg started studies of Theology in 1932 at Giessen, soon became interested in Asian languages and moved to Leipzig and then Berlin. Beside Chinese and Japanese also studied Tibetan and Mongolian. Graduated 1935. Married 1936 and in…