Ernst Wilhelm Oskar Windisch (4 September 1844,

Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...

30 October 1918,

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

) was a German classical philologist and comparative linguist who specialised in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

, Celtic and

Indo-European studies Indo-European studies () is a field of linguistics and an interdisciplinary field of study dealing with Indo-European languages, both current and extinct. The goal of those engaged in these studies is to amass information about the hypothetical p ...

. In his student days at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 December 1409 by Frederick I, Electo ...

, he became friends with

Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher. He began his career as a classical philology, classical philologist, turning to philosophy early in his academic career. In 1869, aged 24, Nietzsche bec ...

. One of his teachers was Friedrich Wilhelm Ritschl. In 1867 he obtained his PhD in classical philology, afterwards teaching at the '' Thomasschule'' of Leipzig (1867–1870). In the meantime, he completed his

habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...

and

comparative linguistics Comparative linguistics is a branch of historical linguistics that is concerned with comparing languages to establish their historical relatedness. Genetic relatedness implies a common origin or proto-language and comparative linguistics aim ...

at the university (1869). In 1870–71 he worked as a staff member of the India Office Library in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Later on, he became a professor of comparative linguistics at Heidelberg University (1872) and the

University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. Founded in the 16th century by Johannes Sturm, it was a center of intellectual life during ...

(1875). In 1877 he returned to his ''alma mater'' in Leipzig as a professor of Sanskrit and director of the Indo-Europeanist institute. In the academic year of 1895/96, he served as rector. Among his students were Friedrich Delitzsch as well as Anna Leonowens who attended his Sanskrit lectures from 1897 to 1901. In 1883 he was appointed a full member of the '' Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig'' (Royal Saxon Society of Sciences in Leipzig). He became a corresponding member of the

Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities The Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities () is an independent public institution, located in Munich. It appoints scholars whose research has contributed considerably to the increase of knowledge within their subject. The general goal of th ...

in 1905. In the same year, Windisch published his translation of the Old Irish epic '' Táin Bó Cúailnge'' into German. In 1873 he married Berta Roscher, daughter of economist Wilhelm Roscher.Catalogus Professorum lipsiensium
biographical sketch The couple had five children, including the theologian (1881–1935).

Works

* ''Irische Texte'', 4 vols. (1880-1909) with Whitley Stokes :* ol. 1•

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:* :* :* :* :* :* * "Compendium of Irish Grammar" (1883 English translation). * ''Zwölf Hymnen des Rigveda, mit Sayana's Commentar'' (1883) * ''Māra und Buddha'', Leipzig 1895. * ''Buddhas Geburt und die Lehre von der Seelenwanderung'', Leipzig 1908 – Buddha's birth and the doctrine of the transmigration of souls. * ''Iti-Vuttaka'', editor * ''Das keltische Britannien bis zu Kaiser Arthur'', Leipzig 1912 – Celtic Britain up to the time of

King Arthur According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...

. * ''Festschrift'' (1914). * ''Geschichte der Sanskrit-Philologie und indischen Altertumskunde'', 2 vols, Leipzig 1917–1920 – History of Sanskrit philology and Indian archaeology. * '' Kleine Schriften'' (2001) edited by Karin Steiner and Jörg Gengnagel.

External links

Pictures

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Windisch, Ernst 1844 births 1918 deaths Celtic studies scholars Linguists of Celtic languages Linguists of Indo-European languages German Sanskrit scholars German Indologists German classical philologists Indo-Europeanists Translators of the Táin Bó Cúailnge Translators from Old Irish Writers from Dresden People from the Kingdom of Saxony 19th-century German translators 19th-century German writers 19th-century German male writers 19th-century philologists German male non-fiction writers Academic staff of Leipzig University Academic staff of Heidelberg University Academic staff of the University of Strasbourg Rectors of Leipzig University Leipzig University alumni Corresponding fellows of the British Academy