Wolfram Eberhard
Encyclopedia
Wolfram Eberhard was a professor Emeritus of Sociology
at the University of California, Berkeley
focused on Western, Central
and Eastern Asian
societies.
, German Empire
, he had a strong family background of astrophysicists and astronomers.
He taught a wide variety of courses specializing in the societies and popular cultures of Western, Central and Eastern Asia. He was especially interested in Chinese folklore
, popular literature, Turkish history, minorities and local cultures in China and the relations between the Chinese and the peoples of Central Asia. Eberhard entered Berlin University in 1927 where he focused his attention to classical Chinese and Social Anthropology. Because Berlin University, where Eberhard studied, did not offer instructions on colloquial Chinese, Eberhard enrolled secretly and simultaneously at the Seminar for Oriental Languages. At the Seminar for Oriental Languages he studied with Ferdinand Lessing. He enrolled secretly because at the time his professors at Berlin University, and teachers of classical Chinese did not approve of his interests in colloquial languages. Ironically, his teachers at the Seminar for Oriental Languages did not approve of his interests in classical Chinese. He received his diploma at the Seminar in 1929, and then worked for his long time friend Lessing at the Berlin Anthropological Museum.
Eberhard made his first journey to China in 1934. After traveling through regions of China collecting folklore, studying temples and dissecting the Chinese culture. The purpose of the trip was to collect ethnographic objects for the Museum. In Chekiang, Eberhard traveled in the countryside, studied temples, and collected folktales with the help of Ts'ao Sung-yeh; most of these tales were published in Erzählungsgut aus Südost-China (1966). Then he went to Peking and found work teaching German and Latin at Peking National University, Peiping Municipal University, and the Medical School at Paoting. Occasionally, his first wife Alide (née Roemer), who sometimes coauthored with him and helped him with editing and translating into English. In 1934, his first son, Rainer, was born. The next year Eberhard travelled across northern China to Xi'an
, the sacred mountain Hua-shan, T'ai-yuan, and the Yun-kang caves at Ta-t'ung. His interviews with Taoist priests on Hua-shan were the basis for the text of a book coauthored with Hedda Hammer Morrison, Hua Shun, the Taoist Sacred Mountain in West China (1974).
Eberhard returned to Germany from 1936 to 1937. In Germany, Eberhard became the director of the Asiatic section of the Grassi Museum
in Leipzig
during that time. However, Eberhard’s stay in Germany would not last long. He was under heavy pressure to affiliate with the Nazis
. Adam von Trott helped Eberhard obtain a Moses Mendelssohn Fellowship which enabled him to purchase a round-the-world ticket and received permission to leave Germany. While in Hong Kong
he received the offer of a professorship at Ankara University
. Even though he did not have the appropriate visas, he made his way by a circuitous route to Turkey
where he was joined by his family. From 1937 to 1948, Eberhard taught history at Ankara
. He taught in Turkish, and published in both Turkish and German on a wide variety of subjects, including Chinese folklore, popular literature, history, minorities and local cultures in China, the relations between the Chinese and the peoples of Central Asia, and Turkish history, society, and popular culture. Eberhard's tenure at Ankara contributed significantly to the development of sinological scholarship in Turkey. The first edition of his History of China, written in Turkish, was published in 1947. This was translated into German, English, and French; the fourth English edition was published in 1977.
Eberhard published an abundance of scholarship, including Kultur and Siedlung der Randvolker Chinas in 1942 and his two-volume Lokalkulturen im alten China in 1943. The publication of his Typen Chinesischer Volksmärchen was the framework that brought Chinese folklore into the study of world folklore. He also published many studies analyzing the content, structure and transmission of Chinese folktales and customs. Eberhard’s sociological background influenced his research, as he was interested in not only the tale-teller but also the genders, ages and family relationships of tale-tellers and audiences. Eberhard died in his home in 1989.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
focused on Western, Central
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
and Eastern Asian
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
societies.
Biography
Born in PotsdamPotsdam
Potsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
, German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, he had a strong family background of astrophysicists and astronomers.
He taught a wide variety of courses specializing in the societies and popular cultures of Western, Central and Eastern Asia. He was especially interested in Chinese folklore
Chinese folklore
Chinese folklore includes songs, dances, puppetry, and tales. It often tells stories of human nature, historical or legendary events, love, and the supernatural, or stories explaining natural phenomena and distinctive landmarks.-Folktales:...
, popular literature, Turkish history, minorities and local cultures in China and the relations between the Chinese and the peoples of Central Asia. Eberhard entered Berlin University in 1927 where he focused his attention to classical Chinese and Social Anthropology. Because Berlin University, where Eberhard studied, did not offer instructions on colloquial Chinese, Eberhard enrolled secretly and simultaneously at the Seminar for Oriental Languages. At the Seminar for Oriental Languages he studied with Ferdinand Lessing. He enrolled secretly because at the time his professors at Berlin University, and teachers of classical Chinese did not approve of his interests in colloquial languages. Ironically, his teachers at the Seminar for Oriental Languages did not approve of his interests in classical Chinese. He received his diploma at the Seminar in 1929, and then worked for his long time friend Lessing at the Berlin Anthropological Museum.
Eberhard made his first journey to China in 1934. After traveling through regions of China collecting folklore, studying temples and dissecting the Chinese culture. The purpose of the trip was to collect ethnographic objects for the Museum. In Chekiang, Eberhard traveled in the countryside, studied temples, and collected folktales with the help of Ts'ao Sung-yeh; most of these tales were published in Erzählungsgut aus Südost-China (1966). Then he went to Peking and found work teaching German and Latin at Peking National University, Peiping Municipal University, and the Medical School at Paoting. Occasionally, his first wife Alide (née Roemer), who sometimes coauthored with him and helped him with editing and translating into English. In 1934, his first son, Rainer, was born. The next year Eberhard travelled across northern China to Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
, the sacred mountain Hua-shan, T'ai-yuan, and the Yun-kang caves at Ta-t'ung. His interviews with Taoist priests on Hua-shan were the basis for the text of a book coauthored with Hedda Hammer Morrison, Hua Shun, the Taoist Sacred Mountain in West China (1974).
Eberhard returned to Germany from 1936 to 1937. In Germany, Eberhard became the director of the Asiatic section of the Grassi Museum
Grassi Museum
The Grassi Museum is a building complex in Leipzig, Germany, home to three museums: the Ethnography Museum, Musical Instruments Museum, and Applied Arts Museum....
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
during that time. However, Eberhard’s stay in Germany would not last long. He was under heavy pressure to affiliate with the Nazis
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
. Adam von Trott helped Eberhard obtain a Moses Mendelssohn Fellowship which enabled him to purchase a round-the-world ticket and received permission to leave Germany. While in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
he received the offer of a professorship at Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
. Even though he did not have the appropriate visas, he made his way by a circuitous route to Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
where he was joined by his family. From 1937 to 1948, Eberhard taught history at Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
. He taught in Turkish, and published in both Turkish and German on a wide variety of subjects, including Chinese folklore, popular literature, history, minorities and local cultures in China, the relations between the Chinese and the peoples of Central Asia, and Turkish history, society, and popular culture. Eberhard's tenure at Ankara contributed significantly to the development of sinological scholarship in Turkey. The first edition of his History of China, written in Turkish, was published in 1947. This was translated into German, English, and French; the fourth English edition was published in 1977.
Eberhard published an abundance of scholarship, including Kultur and Siedlung der Randvolker Chinas in 1942 and his two-volume Lokalkulturen im alten China in 1943. The publication of his Typen Chinesischer Volksmärchen was the framework that brought Chinese folklore into the study of world folklore. He also published many studies analyzing the content, structure and transmission of Chinese folktales and customs. Eberhard’s sociological background influenced his research, as he was interested in not only the tale-teller but also the genders, ages and family relationships of tale-tellers and audiences. Eberhard died in his home in 1989.