Heinrich von Stietencron

Heinrich von Stietencron (18 June 1933 – 12 January 2018) was a German Indologist. During his academic career, he was an emeritus professor and the chair of the Indology and Comparative Religion department at the University of Tübingen.

The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferring the first ‘Distinguished Indologist’ Award to the Prof. Emeritus Heinrich Freiherr Von Stietencron of the Federal Republic of Germany at the inauguration of the International Conference of Indologists, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on November 21, 2015.

Early life and education

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Stietencron was born 18 June 1933 in Ronco sopra Ascona, Switzerland.[1] He completed his Abitur at the Waldorf School in Stuttgart.[1] Beginning in 1957, he studied philosophy and then Indology at the School of Oriental and African Studies with a scholarship from the German National Academic Foundation.[1]

He traveled in northern India for six months in 1965.[1] His dissertation, titled "Indische Sonnenpriester: Sāmba und die Śākadvīpīya Brāhmaṇa" ("Indian Sun Priests: Sāmba and the Śākadvīpīya Brāhmaṇa") was published by Harrassowitz in 1966.[1]

Career

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Beginning in 1965, Stietencron assisted Hermann Berger for five years at the South Asia Institute of the University of Heidelberg.[1] He then continued research and writing, including about the Indian region formerly known as Orissa.[1] In 1973, he became the chair of the Indology and Comparative Religion department at the University of Tübingen, and held this position until 1998,[2] with several visiting professor positions during this time.[1] He continued his academic career as an emeritus professor until 2005.[1]

Hinduism was a major focus of his academic work.[1] He also was a founder and contributed to projects at the Orissa Research Project.[2][1] During the first World Indology Conference in 2015, Stietencron was awarded the first Distinguished Indologist Award from the Indian Council for Cultural Relations,[2][3] which was presented by the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee.[4][5]

Scholarly society and association memberships

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Honors and awards

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Selected publications

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  • Ganga and Yamuna: River Goddesses and their Symbolism in Indian Temples, 1972, ISBN 8178242850.
  • "The Saiva Component in the Early Evolution" and "The Jagannatha Temples in Contemporary Orissa" in The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa, Anncharlott Eschmann, Hermann Kulke, Gaya Charan Tripathi (eds.), Delhi: Manohar Publications 1978.
  • Hans Küng, Josef van Ess, Heinrich von Stietencron, and Heinz Bechert, Christianity and World Religions: Paths to Dialogue with Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, 1984. Doubleday.[8]
  • Theologen und Theologien in verschiedenen Kulturkreisen, 1986. Düsseldorf: Patmos Verl.[9]
  • Angst und Religion. Ed. by H. v. Stietencron. Düsseldorf: Patmos Verl., 1991.
  • Epic and Purāṇic bibliography (up to 1985); annotated and with indexes, Co-ed.: P. Flamm. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1992.[10]
  • Töten im Krieg. Ed. by H. v. Stietencron. Freiburg: Alber, 1995.
  • Representing Hinduism: The Construction of Religious Traditions and National Identity, Co-editor: Vasudha Dalmia, Delhi: Sage Publications, 1995.[11]
  • Der Hinduismus, München: C.H. Beck, 2000 [2010].[1]
  • Hindu Myth, Hindu History: Religion, Art, and Politics, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2005, ISBN 81-7824-122-6.
  • The Oxford India Hinduism Reader, Co-ed.: Vasudha Dalmia, Oxford University Press, Delhi 2007.[12]
  • The Divine Play On Earth: Religious Aesthetics And Ritual In Orissa, India, Co-authors: Cornelia Mallebrein, Heidelberg: Synchron 2008.[13][14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Indologe von internationalem Rang, Mittler zwischen den Kulturen Zum Tode von Professor Dr. Heinrich von Stietencron ein Nachruf von Heike Oberlin". Newsletter Uni Tübingen. Universität Tübingen. January 2018. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Rashtrapati Bhavan to host World Indology Conference from Nov. 21 to 23". Press Information Bureau. 13 November 2015.
  3. ^ "Canadian Vedic Scholar Jeffery Armstrong conferred ICCR's Distinguished Indologist Award". The South Asian Times. 16 August 2022. ProQuest 2702459879
  4. ^ "Time to Reinforce Civilisational Values: Pranab Mukherjee". The New Indian Express. Press Trust of India. 21 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  5. ^ "Prez reminds nation of diversity, tolerance once again". The Free Press Journal. November 22, 2015. ProQuest 2288859743
  6. ^ a b "Heinrich v. Stietencron". uni-tuebingen.de. University of Tübingen. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  7. ^ Mehta, Manik (17 July 2015). "A German scholar's love for Indian culture and history". Gulf News. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  8. ^ Reviews of Christianity and World Religions
  9. ^ Klimkeit (January 1, 1987). "STIETENCRON, HEINRICH VON (Hrsg.): Theologen und Theologien in verschiedenen Kulturkreisen (Book Review)". Zeitschrift für Religions- und Geistesgeschichte. 39: 358–359. ProQuest 1305398108
  10. ^ Goldman, Robert P. (April 1995). "Reviews of books -- Epic and Puranic Bibliography (up to 1985) Annotated and With Indexes compiled by Heinrich von Stietencron et al". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 115 (2): 351. ProQuest 217142163
  11. ^ Reviews of Representing Hinduism
  12. ^ Cort, John E. (June 2010). "The Oxford Hinduism Reader – Edited by Vasudha Dalmia and Heinrich von Steitencron". Religious Studies Review. 36 (2): 167–167. doi:10.1111/j.1748-0922.2010.01434_4.x.
  13. ^ Mallebrein, Cornelia (December 2011). "The Divine Play on Earth: The Sirha Tradition of Orissa". Marg. 63 (2) – via Art & Architecture Source.
  14. ^ von Hinüber, Oscar (November 2009). "The Divine Play on Earth. Religious Aesthetics and Ritual in Orissa, India". International Quarterly for Asian Studies. 40 (3/4): 390–392, 403. ProQuest 212184079
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