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Johann Gustav Stickel (7 July 1805 – 21 January 1896) was a German theologian, orientalist and
numismatist A numismatist is a specialist in numismatics ("of coins"; from Late Latin ''numismatis'', genitive of ''numisma''). Numismatists include collectors, specialist dealers, and scholars who use coins and other currency in object-based research. Altho ...
at
Jena University The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. Th ...
.


Biography

Stickel was born in
Eisenach Eisenach () is a town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, located west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia and bordering northeastern Hessian regions, situat ...
in 1805. He went to school in
Buttelstedt Buttelstedt is a town and a former municipality in the Weimarer Land district, in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated 11 km north of Weimar. Since 1 January 2019, it is part of the municipality Am Ettersberg. History Within the German Emp ...
and in
Weimar Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
. In his youth he demonstrated a gift for the
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
language. Since 1822 Johann Gustav Stickel studied rationalist Protestant theology of enlightenment which included at that time Oriental languages like Syriac and Arabic at
Jena University The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. Th ...
. His teachers were
Andreas Gottlieb Hoffmann Andreas Gottlieb Hoffmann (April 13, 1796 – March 16, 1864) was a German Protestant theologian and Orientalist born in Welbsleben. He was a leading authority on Syriac and Hebrew languages. As a teenager he participated in the War of the ...
(1796–1864), who is known for his Hebrew and Syriac studies, and Johann Traugott Leberecht Danz (1769–1851). In 1826, Stickel's first publication earned him a fame as someone who did exegesis with "precise grammatical-historical interpretation of the Hebrew text". He was much influenced by
Johann Gottfried Herder Johann Gottfried von Herder ( , ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the Enlightenment, '' Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism. Biography Born in Mohr ...
. From 1827 to 1896, Stickel taught in Jena. In 1827 he presented his
habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in many European countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excellence in research, teaching and further education, usually including ...
on the prophet
Habakuk Habakkuk, who was active around 612 BC, was a prophet whose oracles and prayer are recorded in the Book of Habakkuk, the eighth of the collected twelve minor prophets in the Hebrew Bible. He is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Almost al ...
to the minister of state in Weimar responsible for the University, at that time
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
. Weimar was the capital of the Grand Duchy of
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach (german: Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach) was a historical German state, created as a duchy in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, which had been in personal union since 1741. It was ra ...
. In the winter term 1828–29, Stickel had the opportunity to continue his studies at the school for Oriental studies in Paris, the École speciale des langues orientales, with the financial support of the ducal house and Goethe's recommendation. Stickel's most influential teacher in Paris was Antoine Isaac Silvestre de Sacy, but he also studied
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...
with Antoine Leonard de Chézy (1773–1832) and Chinese with
Jean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat Jean-Pierre Abel-Rémusat (5 September 1788 – 2 June 1832) was a French sinologist best known as the first Chair of Sinology at the Collège de France. Rémusat studied medicine as a young man, but his discovery of a Chinese herbal treatise ...
(1788–1832). Between 1827 and 1832, Stickel remained a frequent visitor in the house of
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic. His works include plays, poetry, literature, and aesthetic criticism, as well as t ...
in Weimar. In 1830 he became adjunct professor (
außerordentlicher Professor Academic ranks in Germany are the titles, relative importance and power of professors, researchers, and administrative personnel held in academia. Overview Appointment grades * (Pay grade: ''W3'' or ''W2'') * (''W3'') * (''W2'') * (''W2'', ...
) at the Faculty of Theology. This, however, was a position with an uncertain future. Upon his return from Paris, he tried to build up a reputation for himself as philological Orientalist. Most notable was his ''Sentences of the Caliph
'Ali ibn Abi Talib ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam. ...
'', based on a manuscript in Weimar and published in 1834. In 1836 he was promoted to be regular honorary professor (ordentlicher Honorarprofessor) at the Faculty of Theology. However this position was still without expectancy of a secure position and first of all not the call to Oriental studies, which he had hoped for. After getting a call for a chair in
Göttingen Göttingen (, , ; nds, Chöttingen) is a university city in Lower Saxony, central Germany, the capital of the eponymous district. The River Leine runs through it. At the end of 2019, the population was 118,911. General information The ori ...
for Oriental studies in 1838, he achieved a better outlook for his career in Weimar. This call, however, was only possible because his colleague
Heinrich Ewald Georg Heinrich August Ewald (16 November 18034 May 1875) was a German orientalist, Protestant theologian, and Biblical exegete. He studied at the University of Göttingen. In 1827 he became extraordinary professor there, in 1831 ordinary profess ...
was relegated as one of the "
Göttingen Seven The Göttingen Seven (german: Göttinger Sieben) were a group of seven liberal professors at University of Göttingen. In 1837, they protested against the annullment of the constitution of the Kingdom of Hanover by its new ruler, King Ernest Augus ...
". He had protested against the open breach of the constitution by the King of Hanover. Compared with
Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
, the Grand Duchy allowed a far more liberal political atmosphere for the academia. Stickel hesitated on moral political reasons to follow this call. Meanwhile, in 1839, the Ministry of State responsible for the University decided to establish again Oriental studies within the Faculty of Philosophy, with two professorships. In 1839 Stickel transferred to the Faculty of Philosophy as regular honorary professor (ordentlicher Honorarprofessor), which allowed him to pursue his studies in Oriental philology, especially for the Semitic languages.
Hermann Brockhaus Hermann Brockhaus (January 28, 1806 – January 5, 1877) was a German Orientalist born in Amsterdam. He was a leading authority on Sanskrit and Persian languages. He was the son of publisher Friedrich Arnold Brockhaus and brother-in-law to ...
took over the second professorship for Oriental languages. Beside the Old Testament he taught Indo-Germanic languages, Sanskrit and Persian. In 1840 Stickel succeeded in founding the Grand Ducal Oriental Coin Cabinet in Jena with the financial aid of the Grand Duke Carl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. Later the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna became the main benefactor of the collection. She gave the money for the acquisition of several outstanding collections. In the 19th century, the Grand Ducal Oriental Coin Cabinet became one of the leading institutions in the field of oriental numismatics. In 1843 Stickel was appointed officially as director of the Oriental Coin Cabinet, a position which he held jointly with his professorship. In 1848 he finally got a full professorship at the Faculty of Philosophy. Stickel is still known for his pioneering studies on Islamic numismatics, while he is almost forgotten for his contributions on Semitic philology and theology. During the nineteenth century his study on the prophet Job (1842) had much influence, while his study on
Etruscan language Etruscan () was the language of the Etruscan civilization, in Italy, in the ancient region of Etruria (modern Tuscany, western Umbria, northern Latium, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy and Campania). Etruscan influenced Latin but was eventua ...
(1858) was received with criticism. His works on numismatics were reprinted several times until today. In 1889 he received a medal honouring his work as a scientist and as curator of the Grand Ducal Oriental Coin Cabinet. The medal was commissioned by the Grand Duke Charles Alexander of Saxe-Weimar-Einsenach. The black obelisk memorial stone on his grave, prominent on the cemetery of St. John in the west of the city of
Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a po ...
, is adorned with a bronze plaque bearing his image.


Selected works

1826 with Karl Friedrich Bogenhard, Biga Commentationum de morali primaevorum Christianorum conditione secundum sacros Novi Testamenti libros exhiberunt Joanes Gustavus Stickel, Carolus Fridericus Bogenhard. Edidit et praefatus est D. Joannes Fridericus Roehr, Neustadt an der Orla. 1827 Prolusio ad interpretationem tertii capitiis Habacuci, Part. I. Jena. abilitation 1832 In Jobi locum celeberrimum Cap. XIX, 25-27 de Goele Commentatio philologica-historico critica (...) pro summis in theologia honoribus rite adipiscendis publice defendet, Jena 1832. edicated to A. I. Silvestre de Sacy 1834 Sententiae Ali ben Abi Taleb, arabice et persice e cod. mspt. Vimariensi primus edidit atque in usum scholarum anotatt. maximam partem grammaticis nec non Glossariis instruxit, Jena. 1842 Das Buch Hiob rhythmisch gegliedert und übersetzt mit exegetischen und kritischen Bemerkungen, Leipzig ( Weidmann'sche Buchhandlung) 1842. 1845 Handbuch zur Morgenländischen Münzkunde. Das grossherzogliche orientalische Münzcabinet zu Jena, erstes Heft, Omajjaden- und Abbasiden-münzen, Leipzig (F. A. Brockhaus). 1858 Das Etruskische durch Erklärung von Inschriften und Namen als Semitische Sprache erwiesen, Leipzig (Wilhelm Engelmann). 1866 Neuentdeckte kufische Bleisiegel und Verwandtes, in: Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft 20, pp. 1–42. 1870 Handbuch zur Orientalischen Münzkunde. Das Grossherzogliche orientalische Münzcabinet zu Jena. Zweites Heft, Älteste Muhammedanische Münzen bis zur Münzreform des Abdulmelik's, Leipzig (F.A. Brockhaus). 1886 Meine Berührungen mit Goethe, in: Goethe-Jahrbuch 7, pp. 231–240. 1975 Handbuch zur Morgenländischen Münzkunde, erstes und zweites Heft eprint of the editions of 1845 and 1870 in one volume Leipzig (Zentralantiquariat der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik). 2005 Das Etruskische durch Erklärung von Inschriften und Namen als Semitische Sprache erwiesen eprint of the 1858 edition (Elibron Classics Series)(). Several articles and studies were reprinted in 2003 and 2004 in the series "Islamic Numismatics" by the Institute for the History of Arabic-Islamic Sciences, Frankfurt. The above-mentioned works of 1827, 1842, 1858, 1866, 1886 can be found as full versions in https://books.google.com.


References

* Paul Holzhausen, "Von Napoleon bis heute, ein Professorenleben. Mit Benützung einer Skizze von Geheimrat Professor Dr. Stickel," in: ''Deutsche Revue'' 20 (August 1895), pp. 233–239. * Karl Siegfried, "Zur Erinnerung an D. Gustav Stickel," in ''Protestantische Kirchenzeitung für das evangelische Deutschland'' Nr. 7 (19. 2. 1896), col. 148–152. * Heinrich Nützel, "Johann Gustav Stickel," in: ''Numismatische Zeitschrift'' 27 (1896), pp. 213–220; * Norbert Nebes, "Orientalistik im Aufbruch. Die Wissenschaft vom Orient in Jena zur Goethezeit," in: Jochen Golz (ed.): ''Goethes Morgenlandfahrten. West-östliche Begegnungen'', Frankfurt a/M-Leipzig 1996, pp. 66–96. *
Stefan Heidemann Stefan Heidemann (born 1961 in Versmold in Westphalia) is a German orientalist at Hamburg University, Hamburg. Biography Islamic studies including Islamic Art and economics in Regensburg, Berlin, Damascus and Cairo 1982–1993; Ph.D. in I ...
, "Orientalistik und orientalische Numismatik in Jena," in: Stefan Heidemann (ed.): ''Islamische Numismatik in Deutschland - eine Bestandsaufnahme'' (Jenaer Beiträge zum Vorderen Orient 2), Wiesbaden 2000, pp. 107–128. * Stefan Heidemann, "Maria Pawlowna und der Umbruch in der Orientalistik - Die Gründung des Großherzoglichen Orientalischen Münzkabinetts," in: Joachim Berger - Joachim von Puttkamer (edd.): ''Von Petersburg nach Weimar. Kulturelle Transfers 1800 bis 1860'', 2006, pp. 221–259. * Stefan Heidemann, "Der Paradigmenwechsel in der Jenaer Orientalistik in der Zeit der literarischen Klassik," in: Michael Hofmann - Charis Goers (eds.): ''Der Deutschen Morgenland. Bilder des Orients in der deutschen Literatur und Kultur von 1770 bis 1850'', Munich 2008, pp. 243–257.


External links


Oriental Studies at Jena University (German)




{{DEFAULTSORT:Stickel, Johann Gustav 1805 births 1896 deaths German orientalists German numismatists People from Eisenach People from Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach University of Jena alumni University of Jena faculty INALCO alumni German male non-fiction writers