Hellmut Wilhelm
Encyclopedia
Hellmut Wilhelm was a German
sinologist noted for his broad knowledge of both Chinese literature
and Chinese history. His father, Richard Wilhelm
, was also a noted sinologist.
Wilhelm was an expert on the ancient divination text Yi Jing
, which he believed to represent the essence of Chinese thought.and also produced one of the most widely-used German-Chinese dictionaries of the 20th century. He held teaching positions at Peking University
and the University of Washington
.
, Shandong Province, the son of the prominent missionary
and sinologist Richard Wilhelm
. His early education in China coincided with the Xinhai Revolution
, when the Qing Dynasty
was overthrown and China moved toward republican
government, and he was intimately familiar with the Chinese intellectual world of that era. Japan
, who had declared war on Germany in 1914 at the beginning of World War I
, soon occupied Qingdao, and Wilhelm was then sent to live with friends in Shanghai
. Following the war, Wilhelm's family returned to Germany, where his father became the first chair
of Sinology at the University of Frankfurt. Wilhelm initially worked towards a career in law
, passing the Staatsexamen
("State Examination") in law in 1928. However, after his father's death in 1930, Wilhelm decided to continue his father's work in ancient Chinese literature, and pursue a career in Chinese scholarship.
Wilhelm pursued graduate study in Chinese at the University of Berlin. He wrote a dissertation on Ming Dynasty
scholar Gu Yanwu
, received a doctorate
in 1932. Wilhelm then returned to China, where he lived and worked in Beijing
until 1948. He taught German language
and literature
at Peking University
and produced the Deutsch-Chinesische Wörterbuch, a well-known German-Chinese dictionary. During the early 1940's, Wilhelm would frequently give lectures on Chinese history and thought to the German-speaking community in Beijing. In 1944, Wilhelm published a set of lectures on the ancient Chinese classic Yi Jing
entitled Die Wandlung: Acht Vorträge zum I-Ging - subsequently published in English as Change: Eight Lectures on the I Ching - which have become the most widely read introduction to the Yi Jing in a Western language.
In 1948, Wilhelm became a professor at the University of Washington
, where he taught until his retirement in 1971. He authored dozens of articles and manuscripts, and was a key figure in establishing the Far Eastern and Russian Institute. A collection that includes documents relating to his life, photographs, and manuscripts of his scientific work on Gu Ting Lin and the Yi Jing can be found in the German Exiles Archive of the German National Library
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
sinologist noted for his broad knowledge of both Chinese literature
Chinese literature
Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...
and Chinese history. His father, Richard Wilhelm
Richard Wilhelm
Richard Wilhelm was a German sinologist, as well as theologian and missionary. He is best remembered for his translations of philosophical works from Chinese into German that in turn have been translated into other major languages of the world, including English...
, was also a noted sinologist.
Wilhelm was an expert on the ancient divination text Yi Jing
Yi Jing
I Ching is one of Chinese classic texts.I Ching may also refer to:* I Ching , a Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk* I Ching , fictional, blind martial artist published by DC Comics...
, which he believed to represent the essence of Chinese thought.and also produced one of the most widely-used German-Chinese dictionaries of the 20th century. He held teaching positions at Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.
Biography
Wilhelm was born in the Chinese city of QingdaoQingdao
' also known in the West by its postal map spelling Tsingtao, is a major city with a population of over 8.715 million in eastern Shandong province, Eastern China. Its built up area, made of 7 urban districts plus Jimo city, is home to about 4,346,000 inhabitants in 2010.It borders Yantai to the...
, Shandong Province, the son of the prominent missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
and sinologist Richard Wilhelm
Richard Wilhelm
Richard Wilhelm was a German sinologist, as well as theologian and missionary. He is best remembered for his translations of philosophical works from Chinese into German that in turn have been translated into other major languages of the world, including English...
. His early education in China coincided with the Xinhai Revolution
Xinhai Revolution
The Xinhai Revolution or Hsinhai Revolution, also known as Revolution of 1911 or the Chinese Revolution, was a revolution that overthrew China's last imperial dynasty, the Qing , and established the Republic of China...
, when the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
was overthrown and China moved toward republican
Republic
A republic is a form of government in which the people, or some significant portion of them, have supreme control over the government and where offices of state are elected or chosen by elected people. In modern times, a common simplified definition of a republic is a government where the head of...
government, and he was intimately familiar with the Chinese intellectual world of that era. Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, who had declared war on Germany in 1914 at the beginning of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, soon occupied Qingdao, and Wilhelm was then sent to live with friends in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. Following the war, Wilhelm's family returned to Germany, where his father became the first chair
Chair
A chair is a stable, raised surface used to sit on, commonly for use by one person. Chairs are most often supported by four legs and have a back; however, a chair can have three legs or could have a different shape depending on the criteria of the chair specifications. A chair without a back or...
of Sinology at the University of Frankfurt. Wilhelm initially worked towards a career in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, passing the Staatsexamen
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
("State Examination") in law in 1928. However, after his father's death in 1930, Wilhelm decided to continue his father's work in ancient Chinese literature, and pursue a career in Chinese scholarship.
Wilhelm pursued graduate study in Chinese at the University of Berlin. He wrote a dissertation on Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
scholar Gu Yanwu
Gu Yanwu
Gu Yanwu , also known as Gu Tinglin , was a Chinese philologist and geographer. He spent his youth in anti-Manchu activities at a time when the Ming Dynasty had been overthrown. He never served the Qing Dynasty...
, received a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in 1932. Wilhelm then returned to China, where he lived and worked in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
until 1948. He taught German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and literature
German literature
German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature written in Germany, Austria, the German part of Switzerland, and to a lesser extent works of the German diaspora. German literature of the modern period is mostly in Standard German, but there...
at Peking University
Peking University
Peking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
and produced the Deutsch-Chinesische Wörterbuch, a well-known German-Chinese dictionary. During the early 1940's, Wilhelm would frequently give lectures on Chinese history and thought to the German-speaking community in Beijing. In 1944, Wilhelm published a set of lectures on the ancient Chinese classic Yi Jing
Yi Jing
I Ching is one of Chinese classic texts.I Ching may also refer to:* I Ching , a Tang Dynasty Buddhist monk* I Ching , fictional, blind martial artist published by DC Comics...
entitled Die Wandlung: Acht Vorträge zum I-Ging - subsequently published in English as Change: Eight Lectures on the I Ching - which have become the most widely read introduction to the Yi Jing in a Western language.
In 1948, Wilhelm became a professor at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, where he taught until his retirement in 1971. He authored dozens of articles and manuscripts, and was a key figure in establishing the Far Eastern and Russian Institute. A collection that includes documents relating to his life, photographs, and manuscripts of his scientific work on Gu Ting Lin and the Yi Jing can be found in the German Exiles Archive of the German National Library
German National Library
The German National Library is the central archival library and national bibliographic centre for the Federal Republic of Germany...
.
Selected Works
- (German) Chinas Geschichte: Zehn einführende Vorträge (Chung-kuo li-shih shu-yao 中國歷史術要). Peking: Vetch, 1944.
- (German) Die Wandlung: Acht Vorträge zum I-ging (Chou-i shu-yao 周易術要). Peking: Vetch, 1944.
- (German) Gesellschaft und Staat in China: Acht Vorträge (Shih-ch'ün yüan-kuo 史群元國). Peking: Vetch, 1944.
- (German) Deutsch-chinesisches Wörterbuch. Shanghai: Nössler, 1945.
- Change: Eight Lectures on the I-Ching. Translated by Cary F. Baynes. Bollingen Series, 62. New York: Pantheon Books, 1960.
- Heaven, Earth, and Man in the Book of Changes: Seven Eranos Lectures. Seattle, London: University of Washington Press, 1977.