History of Pre-Modern Chinese Studies in Germany

Ess, Hans van (2023): History of Pre-Modern Chinese Studies in Germany. In: Journal of Chinese History, Bd. 7: 491–524

Abstract

Research into traditional China at German universities began in the early nineteenth century. It took several decades, however—until after the unification of Germany in 1871—positions at the universities of first Leipzig and then Berlin and Hamburg to be established in order to professionalize traditional China studies. The third and fourth decades of the twentieth century saw a rapid expansion, but Nazi rule between 1933–1945 led to massive emigration of German sinologists. This article looks into the details of this development and the disastrous consequences it had for German sinology. It then proceeds to the new beginnings made after World War II when some emigrants returned to Germany from China. East Germany lost many sinologists, who left the GDR when the Berlin wall was built. The article finishes with the challenges that a politically important China presents to traditional sinology.

• Dokumententyp: Zeitschriftenartikel
• Keywords: Germany; Traditional China; Sinology
• Fakultät: Kulturwissenschaften > Department für Asienstudien > Sinologie
• Themengebiete: 900 Geschichte und Geografie > 950 Geschichte Asiens
• ISSN: 2059-1632
• Sprache: Englisch
• DFG: Gefördert durch die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - 491502892