In the USA, Lanman's A Sanskrit Reader was, for a century or more, the de facto standard for beginning Sanskrit students (this has changed only in recent decades with the appearance of Goldman and Goldman, Scharf, Hock, etc).

Is there an equivalent introductory text that was used in Europe (Stenzler?)  Do European Sanskrit students also work with Nala as a first text (which I know is found in Bopp, Boehtlink, Monier-Williams, Stenzler, and Lanman)?

Thanks...I'm just looking for a bit of anecdotal evidence here; any comments will help. 
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Herman Tull
Princeton, NJ