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Heinrich von Stietencron (18 June 1933 in
Ronco sopra Ascona Ronco sopra Ascona is a municipality near Locarno in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. History Ronco sopra Ascona is first mentioned in 1264 as ''Roncha''. In 1498 it was mentioned as ''Ronca de Scona''. Ronco sopra Ascona and Ascona a ' ...
, Switzerland – 12 January 2018) was a German
Indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is o ...
. He was a Professor and the Director of the Institute of Indology and Comparative Religion at the
University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...
. He was a life member of the Academy of Sciences, Heidelberg and an honorary member of the
Société Asiatique The Société Asiatique (Asiatic Society) is a French learned society dedicated to the study of Asia. It was founded in 1822 with the mission of developing and diffusing knowledge of Asia. Its boundaries of geographic interest are broad, ranging ...
, Paris. He was awarded the
Padma Shri Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, ...
by the President of India in 2004. In 2015 he received the "Distinguished Indologist Award" from the Indian government. The award ceremony of this newly created prize was organized in conjunction with the three-day "World Indology Conference" held on November 21, 2015 at New Delhi. President Pranab Mukherjee personally presented the awards function.


Academic career

From 1957 till 1965, Heinrich von Stietencron studied
Indology Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the History of India, history and Culture of India, cultures, Languages of South Asia, languages, and Indian literature, literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a ...
, Old Iranian and Philosophy in Munich and London at the
School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...
. After completing his dissertation in 1966, he was research assistant at the South Asia Institute of the
University of Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
. He specialized in
Indology Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the History of India, history and Culture of India, cultures, Languages of South Asia, languages, and Indian literature, literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a ...
after receiving a grant from the
German Research Foundation The German Research Foundation (german: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ; DFG ) is a German research funding organization, which functions as a self-governing institution for the promotion of science and research in the Federal Republic of Germ ...
to do fieldwork for a year in India with a thesis on the river goddesses Ganga and
Yamuna The Yamuna (Hindustani language, Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in List of major rivers of India, India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a ...
. From 1970 till 1973 he worked at the Department of Religion and Philosophy of the South Asia Institute at the
University of Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
. From 1973 till 1998 he held the chair of Indology and Comparative Religion at the
University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...
. He has been a visiting professor in 1983-84 in Philadelphia; in 1989 in Rome; and in 1993 in Paris.


Research

From 1970 to 1976, Heinrich von Stietencron worked in a project about the
Jagannath Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
cult in
Orissa Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of S ...
in collaboration with Indian scholars. From 1999 till 2005 a second part of the project, funded by the
German Research Foundation The German Research Foundation (german: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft ; DFG ) is a German research funding organization, which functions as a self-governing institution for the promotion of science and research in the Federal Republic of Germ ...
, his work focused on sacred centres and religious communities in Orissa. From 1982 till 1988 and from 1995 till 2000 he worked in a team of scholars on a Puranic and Epic bibliography in two projects, funded by the German Research Foundation.


Selected publications

* Indische Sonnenpriester Sāmba und die Sākadvīpīya-Brāhmaṇa: eine textkritische und religionsgeschichtliche Studie zum indischen Sonnenkult, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1966. * Ganga and Yamuna: River Goddesses and their Symbolism in Indian Temples, 1972, . * Contributor to ''The Cult of Jagannath and the Regional Tradition of Orissa'', Ed by A. Eschmann and G.C. Tripathi, Delhi: Manohar Publications 1978. * 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. * Töten im Krieg. Ed. by H. v. Stietencron. Freiburg: Alber, 1995. * Representing Hinduism: The Construction of Religious Traditions and National Identity, Co-author: Vasudha Dalmia, Delhi: Sage Publications, 1995. * Christentum und Weltreligionen - Hinduismus.Co-author:
Hans Küng Hans Küng (; 19 March 1928 – 6 April 2021) was a Swiss Catholic priest, theologian, and author. From 1995 he was president of the Foundation for a Global Ethic (Stiftung Weltethos). Küng was ordained a priest in 1954, joined the faculty o ...
. München: Piper, 1995. * Der Hinduismus, München: C.H. Beck, 2000 010 * Hindu Myth, Hindu History: Religion, Art, and Politics, Delhi: Permanent Black, 2005, . * The Oxford India Hinduism Reader, Co-ed.: Vasudha Dalmia, Oxford University Press, Delhi 2007. * The Divine Play On Earth: Religious Aesthetics And Ritual In Orissa, India, Co-authors: Cornelia Mallebrein, Heidelberg: Synchron 2008.


External links


The Orissa Research Project


{{DEFAULTSORT:Stietencron, Heinrich von 1933 births 2018 deaths Academic staff of the University of Tübingen German Indologists Religion academics 20th-century German historians German male non-fiction writers Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education 21st-century German historians People from Locarno District