F. Otto Schräder

F. Otto Schäder

F. Otto Schräder was a German Orientalist who was an important director of the library at the Theosophical Society in Adyar.

Personal life and education

Friedrich Otto Schräder was born on March 19, 1876 in Hamburg to Theodor Heinrich Schrader and his wife Juliana. From 1881-1892, he attended the Gymnasium in Hamburg, and then was educated in German universities at Straßburg, Gottingen, and Kiel, earning a doctorate in Oriental languages (Indology). He was proficient in Sanskrit, Pāli, and Prakrit (Ardhamagadhi, which was used extensively to write Jain scriptures). The title of his 1902 dissertation was "Über den Stand der indischen Philosophie zur Zeit Mahaviras und Buddhas" ["On the state of Indian philosophy at the time of Mahavira and Buddha"].From 1892-1895 he worked as an employee of an import-export firm in central and South America. In 1905 he engaged in "private scientific work" in London.

Dr. Schräder was married in 1894 to Lucy Elise Schrader, and the couple had two children.

Theosophical Society involvement

On September 30, 1905, Schräder became the Director of the Adyar Library and Research Centre, serving until 1916. He acquired rare manuscripts and wrote a descriptive catalogue of Sanskrit works. He was assisted by Dutch journalist Johann van Manen, who had mastered several languages including Tibetan.

According to the General Report of the Theosophical Society for 1909-1910,

Dr. Schräder has spent the year in steady and unwearied work, and the first volume of his critical edition of the Upaniṣhaṭs is nearly ready for the press. The new year will also see the issue of another volume of the Catalogue. Dr Schräder's scholarly work is drawing the attention of Eureopean Orientalists to our Library, and his quiet, gentle ways and ready helpfulness endear him the the household.

Dr. Schrader represented the Theosophical Society as a delegate to the 1912 Congress of Orientalists in Athens. During the World War I years of 1914-1920, Schräder was interned at Ahmednagar due to his German citizenship.

Career as an Indologist

During his long years in India he learned to speak the Indian vernacular languages of Tamil, Kannada, Telegu, and Malayalam.

After returning to Germany, in 1921 he became a Professor and Director of Comparative Linguistics and Sanskrit at Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, with his wife as a co-worker. He was the director of the Indo-European Seminar there, and continued in these positions until 1945, serving at times as the Dean of the Philosophy faculty. After 1945 he was a visiting professor in Kiel until 1950.

In 1924 he became an honorary member of the International Academy of Indian Culture, Lahore, and in 1938 he was awarded an honorary doctorate at the Banaras Hindu University.

Later years

Dr. Schrader died on November 3, 1961 in Kiel, Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Schleswig-Holstein).

Writings

Dr. Schrader was awarded the Subba Row Medal in 1912 for his outstanding contributions to literature. These are some of his books and articles, listed by publication date:

• Uber den Stand der indischen Philosophie zur Zeit Mahaviras und Buddhas. Strasbourg: Trübner, 1902.
• Maya-Lehre und kantianismus. Berln, 1904.
• Die Fragen des Königs Menandros. Berlin: Verlag von Paul Raatz, 1905.
• Erster (älterer) Teil. Berlin: Paul Raatz, 1905. Series: Die Fragen des Königs Menandros / aus dem Pali zum ersten Mal ins Deutsche übers. von F. Otto Schrader.
• Tattvasarayana. An ancient Vedantic Itihasa. Issued in monthly parts. Madras, 1906. Edited by a staff of Pandits under the superintendence of Dr. F. Otto Schrader. Sanskrit. O.P.C.L. Series No. 4.
• Bibliography of Sankhya-Yoga-Samuccaya Works. Adyar: Madras, 1906. Appendix to the Upanishads.
• A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts in the Adyar Library (Theosophical Society). Madras: Adyar Library, 1908. The Adyar Library Series No. 2.
• Baskalamantropanisadvrtti. Madras: Oriental Publishing, 1908.
• The Minor Upanishats. Madras: Adyar Library, 1912.
• Samnyasa-Upanisads. Madras: Adyar Library, 1912.
• The problem of Free-will in Indian Philosophy. Bangalore: Higginbothams Ltd., 1914.
• Buddhism. Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1914.
• The Religion of Goethe. Adyar: Theosophical Publishing House, 1914. Adyar Pamphlet Series No. 38.
• Review: J.C. Chatterji, Kashmir Shaivism. Adyar, 1914.
• Introduction to the Pañcaratra and the Ahirbudhnya Samhita. Adyar: Adyar Library, 1916.
• The Minor Upanisads: Critically edited for the Adyar-Library (Theosophical Society) by F. Otto Schrader. (Text.) 2. Madras: Adyar Library, 1920.
• The Minor Upanisads: Critically edited for the Adyar-Library (Theosophical Society) by F. Otto Schrader. (Text.) 3. Madras: Adyar Library, 1921.
• The Minor Upanisads: Critically edited for the Adyar-Library (Theosophical Society) by F. Otto Schrader. (Text.) 4. Madras: Adyar Library, 1923.
• The Minor Upanisads: Critically edited for the Adyar-Library (Theosophical Society) by F. Otto Schrader. (Text.) 5. Madras: Adyar Library, 1925.
• Religionsgeschichtliches Lesebuch. Tübingen: Mohr, 1930.
• The Kashmir Recension of the Bhagavadgita. [With variant passages in the Kashmir recension and the corresponding passages of the vulgate.] Stuttgart, 1930. Contributions to Indian Philology and History of Religion. vol. 3.
• Der Hinduismus. Tübingen: J.C.B. Mohr, 1930.
• Nachlese zu Asvaghosa's Buddhacarita. Tokyo: The Taisho University, 1930.
• A Critical Study of Isopanisad. Bombay: India Press, 1933.
• On some Tibetan names of the Buddha. Calcutta: Calcutta Oriental Press, 1933.
• Vedanta and Samkhya in Primitive Buddhism. 1934.
• On the 'Uralien' Element in the Dravida and the Munda Languages. 1936.
• The Self and the Ideal. Subtitled: "An Essay in Metaphysical Construction on the basis of Moral Consciousness. By Rashvihari Das M.A., Ph.D., Professor of Metaphysics and Indian Philosophy in the Indian Institute of Philosophy, Amalner." Reprinted from the Journal of the Department of Letters27 (Calcutta University Press, 1935): 251 in Philosophy 13 no. 49) (1938): 117. (1938 [Book Review]
• ""Two unexplained names in the Milindapañha", JRASS\ (1939): 606-608.
• Zenna and Dhyana. 1900s.
• Das Sastitantra. Leipzig: Kreysing, 1900s.
• Die Geschichte von der Laus und der Wanze (nach dem Pancatantra). 1900s.
• Hindu realism: a review (Besprechung des Buches "Hindurealism" von J. Ch. Chatterji). Madras: The Vasanta Press, 1900s.
• Textkritische und exegetische Bemerkungen zur Svetasvatara-Upanisad, Adhyayas I, V-VI, III-V, II.

Additional resources

• Otto Schrader (philologist) in Wikipedia.
• "Friedrich Otto Schrader" in Kiel Directory of Scholars.