Description

VARIOUS AUTHORS. Richard WILHELM (1873 – 1930), translator.

Tsingtao: 1918.

8°, [24 pp.]: first blank sheet with mounted image, title, last sheet blank, 2 images originally mounted below text, contemporary card binding with floral pattern and mounted title on the front cover, originally bound with a string, contemporary grey endpapers, contemporary dedication in black ink to Mrs. Othmer on the front free endpaper (binding lightly rubbed in the margins).

Richard Wilhelm (1873 – 1930) was a notable German sinologist, born in Stuttgart, who learned Chinese while working as a missionary in China. He arrived shortly before 1900 in the Empire of China, specifically the city of Tsingtao, as part of the German East Asia Mission.

In 1908, Wilhelm traveled to China for a second time. During World War I, he faced significant challenges continuing his work at the school and serving as pastor for the German community in Qingdao, as the region was under Japanese occupation. In the summer of 1920, after twenty years of missionary work, he returned to Germany.

Upon his return, he was appointed as an honorary professor to the newly established endowed chair for Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy at Frankfurt am Main University in 1924. In 1925, he founded the China Institute at the University of Frankfurt, which he directed until his death in 1930.

Wilhelm translated several significant German works into Chinese and vice versa. His most renowned work is a translation of the I Ching (also known as Yijing), an ancient Chinese divination text regarded as one of the oldest Chinese classics.

The texts blend elements of Chinese philosophy with Eastern evangelical tradition. The pages feature beautiful yet somewhat rustic printing from manuscripts, complemented by elegant original wrappers and bindings that showcase intricate Chinese patterns. Some publications even include mounted images of Chinese landscapes and motifs, which vary from one edition to another.

These publications were likely printed in very limited quantities by an organization associated with Christ’s Church in Tsingtao, which was established in 1910, where Wilhelm played an active role.

The hand-written text of the front loose endpaper is dedicated to “Mrs. Othmer”, the wife of the German educator and sinologist Wilhelm Othmer (1882–1934) (please see the item above).

We could trace examples in the following institutions on Worldcat: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Thüringer Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek, Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Bremen and Leiden University Libraries.

References: OCLC 248946001. Thomas Zimmer, Richard Wilhelm (1873-1930). Missionar in China und Vermittler chinesischen Geistesguts ; Schriftenverzeichnis, Katalog seiner chinesischen Bibliothek, Briefe von Heinrich Hackmann, Briefe von Ku Hung-ming, 2008, p. 93, nr. 215.