[Y-Indology] Berlin Indology (2)
Ithamar Theodor
theodor at RESEARCH.HAIFA.AC.IL
Fri Jan 5 16:52:00 UTC 2007
I, for one, would like to write a letter and send it through e-mail. Kindly
supply the name and position of the person or persons to be addressed, and
my letter will shortly follow.
With best regards,
Ithamar Theodor
----- Original Message -----
From: "Harry Falk" <falk at ZEDAT.FU-BERLIN.DE>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Friday, January 05, 2007 5:52 PM
Subject: Re: [Y-Indology] Berlin Indology (2)
> Dear list members,
> since it is my post which is planned to be sacked when I leave office in
> 2012 I would like to thank Michael for his enduring efforts, which
> outshine everything that has been done in this respect anywhere in
> Germany.
> May I recall the basic fact: it was planned that the dept. of Indian
> Philology moved to the Humboldt-University in town. This was not a bad
> idea, given the depts. of Indian history already there. The shift over
> there was planned to be accompanied by a shift of the Egyptian Archaeology
> from there to us, the Free University. This way no university would have
> been forced to augment its staff, just a swapping of depts. with no
> financial burden involved would take place. Unfortunately, the Egyptian
> Archaeology refused to move and the president of the Humboldt universtiy
> missed the occasion to kick them over par ordre du moufti.
> Our president had firmly planned for a future without Indian Philology.
> Now that I cannot go - because the Egyptian Archaeologists don't come - he
> still sticks to this plan. What is worse: he refuses to talk about our
> field with me or anyone else who could make him change his mind.
> He and his colleague at the Humboldt-University should be reminded that
> no higher authority, like the senator for education and sciences in town
> or the Wissenschaftsrat, has ever pleaded for a closure of Indian
> Philology, and that even with the missed swapping no additional personal
> is to be paid anywhere.
> All arguments regarding the importance of the field, its long history
> in town, Sanskrit, Indian history etc. will be accepted as important, but
> they will not be taken into account. At least at present. No one should
> expect an instant result; however, as long as complaints from all over the
> world keep pouring in these two presidents will be reminded of something
> they have to deal with. Just say that
> - there never was a plan to erase Indian philology
> - no additional money is needed since the swapping would not have changed
> the number of staff
> -
>
>
> Michael Witzel schrieb:
>> Dear List members,
>>
>> Before Christmas, I have written to you about the planned closure of the
>> Berlin Indology department.
>>
>> Many of you have already written to the Berlin authorities then.
>>
>> However, a second push may not hurt, as the case is by *no means* closed
>> yet.
>>
>> So, please, those of you who have not yet written, do so now during the
>> New Year break!
>>
>> As you know, we have set up an email address to which you can send your
>> letters:
>>
>> berlinindology at gmail.com
>>
>>
>> If you want to write *directly* to the various authorities concerned,
>> please let me know, and I will then send you the proper addresses.
>>
>>
>> [[ By the way, someone (the World Sanskrit Association?) should organize
>> such efforts worldwide, as cutbacks in all classical fields, from Latin
>> and Greek to Chinese, are and will be with us for a while. Eventually,
>> even administrators and politicians will recognize that you have to know
>> a bit more about the world's civilizations than just current elections
>> and economics... ]]
>>
>> With many thanks
>> and best wishes for 2007,
>> Michael Witzel
>>
>> -----------------------
>>
>> Please select from the following or compose a letter yourself.
>>
>> Just a few lines will do!
>>
>> =================================================
>>
>> To whom it may concern:
>>
>> A few days weeks we have learned, worldwide, that Indian Studies in
>> Berlin are to be abolished. I therefore write to you to request to
>> preserve the world famous Institute of Indology.
>>
>> This does not only concern modern South Asian Studies, that still are
>> well represented, but also „Classical Indology“ or „Indian Philology“.
>>
>> Classical Indian Philology has existed at Berlin since 1821, and the
>> discipline has been continued at Humboldt University even after 1945 by
>> Professors Ruben and Morgenroth, as well as at the new institute of the
>> Freie Universitaet (Prof.s Bruhn and Falk). Indology prominently deals
>> with the indigenous weltanschauung, religion and history of thought, as
>> they are represented in Sanskrit and other texts. Without this kind of
>> background modern India cannot be understood.
>>
>> The study of the Sanskrit language, that was one of the official
>> languages in India until 1835, is essential for any understanding of the
>> immense number of Indian texts, from c. 1500 BCE until today, for example
>> in fields such as traditional Indian medicine (Ayurveda) or indigenous
>> Indian linguistics (Panini), a field that has supplied important stimuli
>> to western linguistics.
>>
>> As is obvious even from this minimal discussion, modern India can only be
>> understood -- just as any other important civilization – if one studies
>> its foundational texts and their impact during the medieval and modern
>> periods. (I have constantly experienced that myself during my five years
>> stay in South Asia.) Indian history, spanning some 5000 years, is
>> becoming ever more important even in the political arena, for example
>> during the past elections of 2004, which had the effect that even
>> classical philologists were drawn into the fray, whether they wanted or
>> not.
>>
>> Consequently, both modern as well a classical Indology are essential. We
>> appeal to you to continue both branches of our discipline.
>>
>> Berlin Indology can look back, as mentioned, to a tradition spanning some
>> 200 years. Many internationally famous scholars have emerged from Berlin.
>> In the early 19th century, the study of India belonged to one of the
>> major points of Humboldt’s reform of the German Universities. This should
>> not be forgotten now that India receives great attention worldwide, as it
>> grows economically and politically.
>>
>> Finally, it may be added that German Indology has a very good name in
>> India, as Indologists have seriously endeavored to study Indian culture
>> without prejudice. This long-standing and continuing attitude of German
>> intellectuals towards Indian civilization has made Indology the best
>> ambassador in India. It will be met with disbelief both in India and
>> worldwide if the German capital will have to do without an Indian
>> Institute.
>>
>> The preservation of the internationally highly regarded Indology of
>> Berlin therefore is important also for the reputation of Berlin as a
>> place of research. The demolition of Indology would also be
>> unreasonable in view of the large collections of manuscripts of the
>> Prussian State Library and the Academy, as well as the rich holdings of
>> the Museum of Indian Art. It would bring 200 years of a great tradition
>> to an end.
>>
>> We therefore sincerely appeal to you to preserve the discipline and its
>> BA., M.A., and PhD. courses. Anything but this would be a disaster, a
>> waste of material and human capital.
>>
>>
>> Yours faithfully,
>>
>> X.Y.
>>
>> (official position)
>> (address)
>> (email)
>> ==================================
>> Michael Witzel
>> Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Harvard University
>> 1 Bow Street , 3rd floor, Cambridge MA 02138
>> 1-617-495 3295 Fax: 496 8571
>> direct line: 496 2990
>> <http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm>
>> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/compmyth>
>> <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Indo-Eurasian_research/>
>> < http://users.primushost.com/~india/ejvs/>
>>
>>
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>
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