BLAU, August. 1858 — 11.7.1926. German Indologist. Librarian in Berlin. “Mediohusanus.” Studies at Jena, 1883 Ph.D. in classical philology. In 1883-84 assistant (Volontär) in Breslau University Library, then at Göttingen University Library, from 1892 Librarian of Berlin University Library (from 1902 Oberbibliothekar). Probably he was Cappeller’s student in Indology as…
BERTHOLET, Alfred Robert Felix. Basel 9.11.1868 — Münsterlingen, Thurgau 24.8.1951. Swiss Reformed Theologian and Scholar of Comparative Religion in Germany. Professor in Göttingen and Berlin. Son of David B., a school director, and Sabine Wagner. Studies of Theology at Basel, also briefly at Strasbourg and Berlin (under B. Duhm). From…
BERNSTEIN, Georg Heinrich. Cospeda near Jena 12.1.1787 — Lauban, Silesia (now Lubań, Poland) 5.4.1860. German Oriental (mainly Syriac) Scholar, but also interested in Sanskrit. Professor in Breslau. School and from 1806 studies, theology and Semitic languages, in Jena, from 1811 PD there. From 1812 ao. Professor at Berlin, from 1820…
BENARY, Franz Simon Ferdinand. Kassel 22.3.1805 — Berlin 7.2.1880. German Indologist and Orientalist. Professor in Berlin. Born in Kassel in a Jewish family, as a son of the banker Salmon Levy (1770-1828; from 1818 Benary) and Gutheil Meilert (1778-1833), brother of —> Agathon B., himself took Christianity in 1829. From…
BENARY, Karl Albert Agathon. Kassel 17.1.1807 — Berlin 6.12.1860. German Classical and IE scholar. Teacher in Berlin. Born in Kassel as a son of the banker Salmon Levy (1770-1828; from 1818 Benary) and Gutheil Meilert (1778-1833), brother of —> Ferdinand B. After school in Göttingen and Erfurt he studied in…
BECKH, Christoph Eugen Hermann. Nürnberg 4.5.1875 — Stuttgart 1.3.1937. German Indologist and Tibetan Scholar, later turned into Anthroposophist Priest. Son of a factory owner, Eugen B., and Marie Seiler, studied economy and law at the Maximilianeum of Munich until 1896 and worked as assessor, but was soon frustrated with law…
BASTIAN, Philipp Wilhelm Adolf. Bremen 26.6.1826 — Port-of-Spain, Trinidad 2.2.1905. Catholic German Anthropologist, Psychologist, and Traveller, a pioneer of South-east Asian studies. Born in a merchant family, son of Hermann Theodor Bassus and Auguste Krafft. Studied biology and medicine at Berlin, Jena, Würzburg (under Virchow) and Prague (dr. med. 1850).…
BANG KAUP, Willy (Willi, Johann Wilhelm Max Julius Bang Kaup). Wesel 8/9.8.1869 — Darmstadt 8.10.1934. German Linguist, Turkic and Iranian Scholar. Professor at Louvain and Berlin. Born in Germany by the Rhine near to the Belgian border, son of notary (later mayor) Heinrich Bang and his wife Auguste, went to…
ALSDORF, Ludwig Wilhelm. Laufersweiler near Kirchberg in Hunsrück 8.8.1904 — Buchholz-Sprötze, Kr. Harburg 25.3.1978. German Indologist. Professor in Hamburg. Son of a minister, Hermann A. and Emilie Chelius, he went to school in Saarbrücken (Ludwigs-Gymnasium). Began his studies in 1922 at Heidelberg (under Bartholomae & Zimmer), then from 1923 under…