GRAY, Louis Herbert. Newark, NJ 10.4.1875 — New York 18.8.1955. U.S. Indologist, Iranian Scholar and Linguist. Professor in New York. Son of Thomas J. Gray and Anna Elizabeth Earl. Studies at Princeton (A.B. 1896) and Columbia (A.M. 1898, Ph.D. 1900, under A. V. Williams Jackson). In 1900-02 chief cataloguer and…
GÖTZE, Albrecht Ernst Rudolf. Leipzig 11.1.1897 — Garmisch-Partenkirchen 15.8.1971. German Assyriologist, Semitic and IE Scholar in the U.S.A. Born in a Jewish family, the son of the physician (psychiatrist) Rudolf Götze (d. 1920) and Elsa Rommler. Grew up in Darmstadt. From 1915 studies at Munich, Leipzig, Berlin, and Heidelberg, in…
GELDNER, Karl Friedrich Eugen. Saalfeld (Sachsen-Meiningen) 17.12.1852 — Marburg/Lahn 5.2.1929. German Indologist and Iranian Scholar. Professor in Marburg. Son of Christian Friedrich Geldner (1821–1890), a minister (archdeacon), and Emma Müller (1822–1876). After school in Hildeburghausen studied from 1871 at Leipzig Indology (under Brockhaus and Windisch) and classical philology, from 1872…
GEIGER, Bernhard. Bielitz-Biala in Austrian Silesia (now Polish Bielsko) 30.4.1881 — New York 5.7.1964. Austrian Indo-Iranian Scholar, later in the U.S.A. Professor in Vienna and New York. Son of Chiel Geiger, a Jewish tailor who moved in 1902 to the U.S.A. School and gymnasium in Biala. Studies of Semitics, Iranian…
ERSKINE, William. Edinburgh 8.11.1773 — Edinburgh 20.5.1852. British (Scottish) Civil Servant and Lawyer. 1804-23 in India. Son of David Erskine (1739?–1791), a lawyer, and Jean Melvin (1753?–1780?). Educated at Royal High School and Edinburgh University (dr. iuris). He “was a lawyer’s apprentice, 1792-9, went to India in 1803-4 with Sir…
DARMESTETER, James. Château-Salins (Meurth, Lorraine) 28.3.1849 — Maisons-Laffitte near Paris 19.10.1894. French Iranian Scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Calmann Darmesteter, a Jewish bookbinder, and Rosalie Brandeis, younger brother of the philologist Arsène Darmesteter (1846–1888). Educated in Paris, matriculated from Lycée Concordet in 1866. Then studied philology (lic. 1868) and…
CUMONT, Franz Valéry Marie. Aalst 3.1.1868 — Brussels 20.8.1947. Belgian Scholar of Ancient Religions, History and Archaeology. Son of Florent Cumont (1830–1912), a textile factory owner, and Augustine Faider (1837–1890), educated in Brussels. Studies at Ghent, Ph.D. 1887. Then further studies at Bonn, Berlin, Vienna and Paris. From 1892 taught,…
CORBIN, Henry (born Henri Eugène Corbin). Paris 14.4.1903 — Paris 7.10.1978. French Philosopher, Theologian and Scholar of Iranian Religion and Islam. Son of Henri Arthur Corbin and Eugénie Fournier (d. 1903), grew up with an aunt. Born in a Protestant family, but had catholic education. Studied philosophy in Paris (degree…
CLOSS, Alois. Neumarkt in Steiermark 27.10.1893 — Graz 10.1.1984. Austrian Iranian Scholar. Librarian in Graz. Son of Alois Closs, a court official, and Rosa Halm, elder brother of the Germanist August Closs (1898–1990). Educated in Graz, 1911-15 studies of theology at Graz (Dr.theol.), ordained priest 1916. In 1916-21 minister and…
CHRISTENSEN, Arthur Emanuel. Copenhagen 9.1.1875 — Copenhagen 31.3.1945. Danish Iranian Scholar. Professor in Copenhagen. Son of post official Vilhelm Christensen (1847–1921) and Dorothea Kjerstine Marcussen. Matriculated in Copenhagen 1893. Studied languages, mainly French and Latin, at Copenhagen, mag. 1900. He had early become interested in the East and studied also…