KOPPERS, Wilhelm. Menzelen near Xanten, Rheinland 8.2.1886 — Vienna 23.1.1961. Father. German Ethnologist, Catholic Priest and Theologian in Austria. Professor in Vienna. Son of a poor day labourer (later small farmer). He joined early the Society of the Divine Word (Societas Verbi Divini, S.V.D.) and was educated at its gymnasium…
KONOW, Sten. Søndre Aurdal, Valdres 17.4.1867 — Oslo 29.6.1948. Norwegian Indo-Iranian Scholar. Professor in Oslo. Born in Central Norway as the son of minister Wollert Otto Konow (1833–1895, of a merchant family from Bergen) and Anne Heyerdahl. Educated in Lillehammer, matriculated in 1884. Studies of classical and Germanic philology (under…
KOHLER, Josef. Offenburg 9.3.1849 — Berlin-Charlottenburg 3.8.1919. German Legal Scholar interested in India. Son of an elementary school teacher, the elder Josef Kohler (1808–1874) and Amalie Schmieder, educated in Offenburg and Rastatt. Studies of law at Heidelberg and Freiburg, promotion 1873. After some time as attorney in Mannheim became without…
KLIMKEIT, Hans-Joachim. Ranchi, India 22.7.1939 — 7.2.1999. German scholar of Comparative, Indian and Central Asian Religions. Professor in Bonn. Son of a missionary, Johannes Klimkeit (1908–1977) of Gossner Mission and his wife Renate. Grew up in India, after internment camp during war school in Kodaikanal and Darjeeling. Came to Germany…
KIRSTE, Johann Otto Ferdinand. Graz 1.10.1851 — Graz 2.5.1920. Austrian Indologist. Professor in Graz. Son of a ropemaker master Johann Martin Kirste in a Calvinist family originally coming from Posen, and Antoinette Hieronymus. In 1870-72 studies of classical philology and a little Sanskrit at Graz (under Schenkl). After brief periods…
KIRFEL, Willibald. Reifferscheid, Eifel 29.1.1885 — Bad Godesberg 16.10. 1964. German Indologist. Professor in Bonn. Son of Johann Kirfel (1854–1923), teacher in elementary school, and Anna Maria Huy. In 1904-08 studies of Oriental languages and Catholic theology at Bonn. Ph.D. 1908 Bonn (Jacobi). In 1911-21 Librarian in Bonn university library.…
KINCAID, Charles Augustus. Indore 8.2.1870 — Fulham, London 15.8.1954. British Civil Servant, Historian and Marathi Scholar in India. Son of —> General William Kincaid (1831–1909) and Martha Pattie Shortt, educated at Sherborne School and Balliol College, Oxford. Passed I.C.S. examination 1889, arrived in India in 1891. In 1891-94 Assistant Collector…
KERN, Johan Caspar Hendrik. Poerworedjo, Bagelen, Central Java 6.4.1833 — Utrecht 4.7.1917. Dutch Indologist and Indonesian Scholar. Professor in Leiden. Son of a colonial officer, Johan Hendrik Kern (1799–1863) and Marta Corradina Schindler (1803/04–1894), came from Java to the Netherlands with his parents in the age of seven to start…
KERBAKER, Michele. Turin 10.9.1836 — Naples 20.9.1914. Italian Indologist. Professor in Naples. Son of Luigi Kerbaker. Lost early his mother and after the new marriage of father was educated by his ecclesiastic uncle Gaetano Kerbaker. Studied classical philology at Turin (degree 1857), soon became interested in Indology and learnt it…
KENNEDY, Vans. Pinmore, Parish of Ayr 1784 — Bombay 28.12.1846. British (Scots) Colonial Officer and Indologist in India. Major-General. The youngest son of Robert Kennedy of Pinmore (d. 1790), of an old Ayrshire family, and Robina Vans. The father lost his money in the bankruptcy of Ayr bank and had…