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Studies in Jainology. Praksis
23
CONTRIBUTION OF GERMAN
SCHOLARS TO PRAKRIT STUDIES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PROF.
A.WEBER
The first German scholar who showed special interest in and regard for India and its literature and culture is Harder (17441803), thc poct. It was he who introduced Kālidasa's Sakuntalam drama to the great poet Goethe(1749-1832). Such interest and regard developed and spread among German Scholars on a large scale within a short period i.e, by the close of the first half of the 19th century A.D, and created in them an impression and conviction that for the interpretation and explanation of the history of mankind, adequate study of Indian culture is inevitable. Then soon subjects like Sanskrit (Vedic), Indology and Comparative Linguistics prominently appeared among the various subjects or courses then provided at German Universities.'
As early as 1818, the first Indology Chair was instituted at the University of Bonn. Such Second Chair came into existence in 1820 at the University of Berlin. Later several other Universities
in Germany instituted such Chairs or created Readers' Posts for Jain Education International. For Private & Personal Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
