Bernhard Geiger

Born:	04-30-1881
Faculty:	Philosophical School
Category:	Expelled teacher

Bernhard GEIGER (born on April 30^th, 1881 in Bielitz, Bohemia/Austro-Hungarian Empire [Bielsko-Biała/Poland], died on July 5^th, 1964 in New York, NY/USA) was extraordinary professor (ao. Prof.) for Iranian and Indian philology at the Philosophical School of the University of Vienna in 1938. He was persecuted in times of Nazism for political reasons, lost his position and was thrown out of the university in 1938.

Geiger attended the Protestant elementary school in Biala and from 1892 until 1900 the imperial-royal state secondary school in Bielitz [Bielsko-Biała], ^[1] where he joined the Zionist youth organization "Hasmoneah" Bielitz [Bielsko-Biała]. He then studied Hebrew, Persian and Sanskrit at the Universities of Vienna, Bonn, Prague, Göttingen and Heidelberg. During this time he also belonged to the Zionist student organization "Emunah" Bielitz [Bielsko-Biała] as well as the Jewish organization "B’nai B’rith". Geiger obtained his doctorate at the University of Vienna in 1904 and habilitated as private lecturer for Sanskrit and Persian in 1909. ^[2] In the academic year 1913/14 he received an honorary teaching assignment, which he held until he became associate professor. In the following years he regularly held courses on the Avestan language and middle-Persian dialects. ^[3] Due to Geiger’s Jewish religion and his endorsement of Zionism, the conferment of the title of associate professor did not go smoothly. In the faculty, for example, the Botanist Richard Wettstein warned, that "the character of the university must remain German". ^[4] In the end, the authorities did, however, accredit him with the attribute "German": In a note from the ministry it read that Geiger belonged to "the German cultural sphere in regard to his school and scientific education". Even though he was "committed to Zionism [underlined in the original]", "in light of the whole situation" the faculty as well as the office of the rector was in favor of "treating him as a German". Inquiries at the government of Lower Austria had further shown that he was a "German-Austrian citizen" and "was descended from German parents, according to his own account". ^[5] The habilitation request was approved and Geiger became associate professor for Iranian and Indian philology on May 26^th, 1919. ^[6] This was to be his last career step at the University of Vienna. Geiger’s scientific career in Vienna ended abruptly after the "Anschluss" in March 1938: The ministry of education removed him from office by a decree from April 22^nd, 1938, and suspended him "until further notice". ^[7] Dean Viktor Christian entrusted the private lecturer Erich Frauwallner with the continuation of Geiger’s lectures. ^[8] After a further disciplinary measure against him - a forced retirement as of May 28^th, 1938 - Geiger decided to flee and emigrated to the United States in September. ^[9] In that same year he found employment at the Tibetan-Iranian institute in New York, where he worked as professor for Indo-Iranian philology. From 1951 until 1956 he was visiting professor and then adjunct professor for Indo-Iranian philology at the Center for Iranian Studies at Columbia University. ^[10] Geiger was a member of the American Oriental Society and the Linguistic Society of America. He received the Homayoun medal from the Iranian Shah for his achievements in the study of Iranian culture. ^[11] One of Geiger’s most important accomplishments was the study of pre-Islamic Iranian languages and literature, in the course of which he also worked on middle-Iranian inscriptions at the synagogue of Dura-Europos. ^[12] Among his most famous works are "Die Religion der Iraner" (1929) and "Middle Iranian Texts" (1956). ^[13]
Lit.: Austrian State Archive/AdR, PA Geiger; Austrian State Archive/AVA, PA Geiger; Archive of the University of Vienna/PH PA 1727, PHIL GZ 659 ex 1937/38; MUEHLBERGER 1993, 40; KILLY/VIERHAUS Vol. 3 1996; ROEDER Vol. 2 1983; TETZLAFF 1982.