Dieter Kuhn (Sinologist)

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Dieter Kuhn (* 1946 in Karlsruhe ) is a German sinologist and specialist author . From 1988 to 2009, he held the chair for Sinology at the University of Würzburg as a professor .

Life and work

Dieter Kuhn initially trained as a textile business economist and then from the 1970 winter semester studied Chinese language and Chinese culture in Heidelberg , Cologne and at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei . In 1977 he received his doctorate from the University of Cologne. At the end of the 1970s he was in China, which was still very closed at the time . In 1985 he completed his habilitation in Sinology at the Free University of Berlin , then received a Heisenberg grant and worked as a research assistant in Cambridge and Heidelberg. In 1988 he was appointed to the chair for Sinology at the University of Würzburg, which is now part of the "Institute for Cultural Studies of East and South Asia - Sinology".

Kuhn became internationally known through his contribution to Joseph Needham's (ed.) Science and Civilization in China , Cambridge 1988, and is considered to be one of the “most renowned experts in textile technologies ” in silk production and processing. In addition to his teaching activities, he initiated and carried out important research projects that were funded by the German Research Foundation, among others . In addition, he organized international specialist conferences , for example in November 1999 on the subject of "The Presence of Antiquity".

Mid-1990s taught Kuhn together with the Economics Faculty of the University of Würzburg at the Institute of Chinese Studies , the initial pilot project and today's study element "Chinese for economists " one in which, among other basic knowledge of modern Chinese language and the special terminology of economic life are taught and the listeners of all faculties is open. At the beginning of the 2000s, he initiated and developed the “Modern China” course, unique in Germany, at the University of Würzburg, which focuses on business-related topics and includes a semester abroad at the Beijing University.

Kuhn was also active as a specialist author and published numerous specialist articles and specialist books on historical, cultural and economic topics in China. In particular, his contributions to the history of Chinese technology found international recognition. He is the editor of the Würzburger Sinologische Schriften series , which has been published since 1990.

Dieter Kuhn retired in 2009.

Work areas

Kuhn's areas of work in teaching and research are:

  • the premodern and modern history of China: history of the 20th century / history of the Song Dynasty (960–1279)
  • Cultural history: documents of the material culture of all epochs / text sources with special consideration of archaeological evidence / investigation of the perception of Chinese antiquity in Chinese civilization
  • History of Technology: Problems of China's Technological Development and Technology Transfer / Textile Technology

Publications (selection)

  • Chinese Baskets and Mats. Steiner, Wiesbaden 1980, ISBN 3-515-03351-3 . (English)
  • The Song Dynasty, 960 to 1279: A new society reflected in its culture. Acta Humaniora, Weinheim 1987, ISBN 3-527-17562-8 .
  • On the development of loom technology in ancient China. annotated translation of the relevant chapters in the history of Chinese textile science and textile technology. Antiquity, Zhongguo fangzhi kexue jishu shi (gudai bufen), Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1990, ISBN 3-927943-01-0 .
  • with Helga Stahl: Annotated Bibliography to the Shike-shiliao-xinbian, Shike-shiliao-xinbian, (New edition of historical materials carved on stone). Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1991, ISBN 3-927943-04-5 . (English)
  • as Ed .: Working materials from Chinese excavation reports (1988–1991) on graves from the Han to Tang times. Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1992, ISBN 3-927943-06-1 .
  • The Republic of China from 1912 to 1937: Draft Political Event History . In: Dieter Kuhn (Hrsg.): Würzburger Sinologische Schriften, Edition Forum . 3. Edition. Heidelberg 2007, ISBN 3-927943-25-8 ( PDF ).
  • as ed., with Ina Asim: China's golden age. The Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD) and the cultural heritage of the Silk Road . Edition Braus, Heidelberg 1993, ISBN 3-89466-069-4 . (Exhibition catalog; Museum for Art and Cultural History of the City of Dortmund, August 2 to November 21, 1993. An exhibition by Kultur und Projekte Dortmund GmbH and the Initiativkreis Ruhrgebiet in cooperation with the Foreign Society for Archaeological Exhibitions of the Shaanxi Province, Xi'an, People's Republic China.)
  • as editor: Burial in Song China . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1994, ISBN 3-927943-09-6 .
  • as ed., with Ina Asim: Officials and Economic Policy in the Song Dynasty . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1995, ISBN 3-927943-11-8 .
  • A place for the dead. An archaeological documentary on graves and tombs of the Song dynasty (960-1279) . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1996, ISBN 3-927943-15-0 . (English)
  • The art of tomb construction. Dome tombs from the Liao period (907–1125) . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1997, ISBN 3-927943-16-9 .
  • How the Qidan reshaped the tradition of the Chinese dome-shaped tomb . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 1998, ISBN 3-927943-18-5 . (English)
  • The Second World War in China . Duncker et al. Humblot, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-428-09731-9 .
  • with Angelika Ning and Hongxia Shi: Market China. Basic knowledge for successful market opening . Oldenbourg, Munich et al. 2001, ISBN 3-486-25595-9 .
  • with Helga Stahl (ed.): The presence of antiquity. Forms and functions of reference to antiquity in the advanced cultures of the Old World . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 2001, ISBN 3-927943-22-3 .
  • with Dagmar Schäfer: Weaving an economic pattern in Ming times (1368–1644). The production of silk weaves in the state-owned silk workshops . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 2002, ISBN 3-927943-23-1 . (English)
  • with Helga Stahl (Ed.): Perceptions of Antiquity in Chinese Civilization . Edition Forum, Heidelberg 2008, ISBN 978-3-927943-29-2 . (English)
  • Age of Confucian Rule: The Song Transformation of China. Harvard University Press, 2009, ISBN 978-0-674-03146-3 . (English)
  • as editor: Chinese Silks. Yale University Press 2012, ISBN 978-0-300-11103-3 . (English)
  • East Asia until 1800. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2014.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b X-ray medal for Dieter Kuhn. Press and Public Relations Office, May 10, 2016, accessed on February 11, 2018 .
  2. ↑ a b History of Sinology in Würzburg. University of Würzburg, accessed on February 11, 2018 .
  3. ^ Sinology in Würzburg , information on the website of the University of Würzburg (accessed on February 8, 2009).
  4. ↑ Lectures at ISO >> WS 2004/05 ( Memento from September 21, 2008 in the Internet Archive ), list of lectures by the Institute for Sinology and East Asian Studies (ISO) at the University of Münster (accessed on February 9, 2009).
  5. ^ Art History East Asia / Research Projects >> Würzburg, University - Institute for Sinology , newsletter of September 1996, at www.fluktor.de (accessed on February 9, 2009).
  6. ↑ DFG supports congresses and conferences >> 18. – 20. November 1999 in Würzburg ( memento of August 13, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), DFG press release of October 15, 1999 (accessed on February 9, 2009).
  7. ↑ Learned Chinese successfully , press release of March 6, 2001, at www.uni-protocol.de (accessed on February 9, 2009).
  8. ↑ New markets beckon in the Far East. The University of Würzburg starts the course “Modern China” , report in Manager Magazin from June 26, 2002 (accessed on February 8, 2009).
  9. ↑ Teaching & Research, Staff: >> Prof. Dr. Dieter Kuhn - Areas of work in teaching and research ( Memento from July 13, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
personal data
SURNAME Kuhn, Dieter
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German sinologist
DATE OF BIRTH 1946
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlsruhe