Emil Krebs

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Emil Krebs

Emil Krebs (born November 15, 1867 in Freiburg in Silesia ; † March 31, 1930 in Berlin ) was a German sinologist , multilingual , diplomat, interpreter and translator. He spoke 68 languages . His language skills enabled him to translate from over 40 foreign languages ​​at the Foreign Office in Berlin. His private library contained books and writings in 111 languages.

Life

The early years

He lived as the son of the carpenter Gottlob Krebs and his wife Pauline nee. Scholz with nine siblings from 1870 to 1887 in Esdorf (today: Opoczka), Schweidnitz district . In the village school he got his first contact with a French dictionary. From 1878 to 1880 he attended the secondary school in Freiburg (Silesia), from 1880 to 1887 the Protestant grammar school in Schweidnitz. The grammar school curriculum included Latin , French , ancient Hebrew, and ancient Greek . In addition, as a high school student, he was self-taught in Modern Greek , English , Italian , Spanish , Russian , Polish , Arabic and Turkish . On March 17, 1887, he passed the Abitur. At this point he was already familiar with twelve foreign languages.

He then studied theology and philosophy at the University of Wroclaw for one semester. From the winter semester of 1887, he began studying law at the University of Berlin and at the same time studying Chinese at the newly founded Seminar for Oriental Languages. He passed the exam on July 24, 1890 with "good". The first state examination was carried out at the University of Berlin on June 12, 1891. Subsequently, he was court clerk at the "Royal Prussian District Court " in the mountain of God (Silesia). From Easter 1892, meanwhile trainee lawyer at the Superior Court in Berlin, he became a member of the Turkish class at the seminar for oriental languages. The planned examination after three semesters (approval from Prof. Eduard Sachau was available) did not take place because on September 30, 1893, Krebs was sent to Beijing as an interpreter aspirant .

Stay in China from December 1893 to March 1917

On September 30, 1893, Emil Krebs was drafted into the Foreign Service as an interpreter aspirant. His first assignment took him to China. After arriving at the German Imperial Embassy in Beijing on December 5, 1893 , he was appointed second interpreter on June 10, 1896.

The German Reich took the murder of two missionaries in Shantung Province as an opportunity to occupy Tsingtao in November 1897 as a guarantee for its "claims for damages". Of 10 November 1897 to February 1898 for cancer was the the occupation of Jiaozhou Bay found seconded German squadron for service as interpreters and translators are available, and then temporarily assigned to the Imperial Government for the area Kiautschou ( "reserve"). There he was head of the Chinese law firm and district administrator and thus also worked as a judge for Chinese law. His mission in Kiautschou ended on September 30, 1900.

He then returned to Beijing. There there was a first meeting with Gustav von Bohlen and Halbach (legation secretary). On June 20, 1900, the German envoy Clemens von Ketteler was murdered during the Boxer uprising . Krebs' knowledge of Chinese, which has meanwhile become known, and experience in dealing with Chinese officials led to the appointment of First Interpreter with the title "Secrétaire interprète" by the Reich Chancellor Bernhard Fürst von Bülow (1849–1929) on July 16, 1901 . His tasks and his position in the legation changed considerably as a result. The ambassadors, but also their representatives, spoke hardly any Chinese, and the Chinese businessmen often did not speak a foreign language. Its linguistic importance in China (Chinese, Mongolian, Manchurian and Tibetan as well as Korean and Japanese) also increased.

On February 15, 1912, he was awarded the title of Legation Councilor, although Krebs refused to take the consular examination. On February 5, 1913, he married Ms. Mande Heyne nee at the German Imperial Consulate in Shanghai . Glasewald. In February and March 1914 he was the representative of the envoy von Haxthausen during his business trip to central and southern China. Finally, on August 8, 1914, he was also given civil authority at the legation. Private visits to the Chinese imperial family and to the first President of China Yuan Shikai took place.

The break of diplomatic relations between Germany and China in March 1917 in the course of the First World War led to the dissolution of the German legation on March 25, 1917 and the departure of the diplomats. The Dutch legation now represented German interests.

Return to Berlin in 1917

Gravestone of Emil Krebs, 2017 ( grave location )

After arriving in Berlin on May 23, 1917, he was given temporary retirement on January 1, 1918 . The "Message Center for the Orient" (from November 1917) and from March 1921 the " Encryption Service of the Japanese Department, Section II" of the Foreign Office continued to use his language skills. From 1923 onwards he was permanently employed by the Foreign Office's language service as a translator and examiner. From May 1922 onwards, Krebs worked as an interpreter for the Finnish language at courts and registry offices in Berlin and in the Potsdam region . Efforts by the Federal Foreign Office to find a lecturer position for cancer at the Seminar for Oriental Languages ​​(SOS) that corresponded to its abilities failed due to the resistance of the head at the time, Prof. Otto Franke , who had worked with cancer in Beijing about 20 years earlier.

Independently of the Foreign Office, the Essen industrialist Gustav Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach endeavored as early as 1917 to find an activity that corresponded to his language skills for his former colleague from their time in Beijing. These were u. a. the "Academy of Sciences" in Berlin and the " German Overseas Service ". However, the condition for employment was the termination at the Foreign Office and thus the loss of his salary. Krebs refused. Krupp's efforts at the Foreign Office to later use cancer in China failed.

On March 31, 1930, Krebs died of a stroke in his apartment in Berlin-Westend , Linden-Allee 26 . He found his last resting place in the Stahnsdorf south-west cemetery , which is still sponsored today (Epiphany garden block I, garden point 81).

estate

His private library with over 3,500 volumes and writings in over 110 languages ​​was transferred to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC in 1932 . Of these, 236 Chinese titles in 1620 individual fonts are kept in a rarity cabinet in the Jefferson Building because of their special value. The composition and scope of the literature written in the respective national languages ​​and a list of languages ​​written by him personally for the office from 1922 shows that Krebs mastered all languages ​​of today's EU, plus other languages ​​such as Egyptian , Albanian , Arabic , and Armenian , Chinese , Georgian , Hebrew , Japanese , Javanese , Korean , Latin , Manchurian , Mongolian , Persian , Russian , Sanskrit , Syriac , Tibetan , Turkish and Urdu . In addition, he learned Afghan , Burmese , Gujarati , Hindi , Irish , Sinhala and Portuguese through English , without including his mother tongue ; he learned Buryat , Finnish , Tatar , Ukrainian through Russian and the difficult Basque through Spanish . He dealt with the dialects Guipuzkoa, Bizkaia , Laburdi and Zubero at the same time . As an “intermediary language” alongside German, Krebs mainly used English, French, Russian, Chinese, Greek, Dutch, Italian, Turkish, Latin, Spanish and Arabic to learn and deepen a new language. The “New Testament” in 61 different languages ​​also played a not insignificant role.

His brain, taken in 1930 by the brain researcher Oskar Vogt , is stored as a so-called "elite brain" in the Institute for Brain Research and General Biology (today: Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf ). The neurologist Katrin Amunts examined his brain again in 2004. Elsewhere, she summarizes her findings in a generally understandable way: “ The Broca Center is located in the temple area . It plays an important role in speech production. The construction of the Broca site at Emil Krebs is very different from people like us. The nerve cells are laid out in layers in all humans, but with him the cell strips can be more clearly delineated under the microscope. Cancer did not generally have a different brain than the normal population, but only a very special Broca area. His special linguistic talent can therefore be traced back to the unusual characteristics of this brain structure. "

The Federal Foreign Office is dedicating an exhibition to Emil Krebs from January 17 to February 19, 2020.

Works

Emil Krebs himself was not a scientist.

His most extensive work is the completed translation of the Chinese shadow plays from the estate of Wilhelm Grube, Munich 1915 (440 pages). This work required a prior preparation of the handwritten original and translation into modern Chinese (over 700 pages). Prof. Laufer acquired this heavily damaged original in 1901 from a shadow play troupe in Beijing, along with the approximately one thousand figures that belonged to it, for the American Museum in New York.

Extensive article by Emil Krebs on Chinese criminal law.

In addition, several articles published in the "Ostasiatische Rundschau" and "The New Orient" (including "About learning Chinese", "The political cartoon in China", "China's domestic and foreign policy", "German activity in China").

Translations from Turkish: "The reform of the marriage legislation in Turkey", "The Turkish municipal law", "Preparation of a general education law in Turkey", "Votes from the Turkish parliament on the new civil status law", "Provisional law on the family law", "The Turkish Food Law" and "Work of the Ottoman Parliament in the fourth session of the third electoral period" as well as further translations of the ordinances of these laws. (All works are in the archive of the Berlin State Library)

Not published: Lecture on September 30, 1919 on behalf of the Foreign Office at the Foreign Trade Office in Berlin “Benefits of language studies for civil servants in foreign service”; Content however "languages ​​in general". Cancer spans around 90 languages. Krupp's assessment: "The content is so meaningful that I would advise you to give it to a trade journal for publication." Not published and in private hands, 48 ​​pages (July 1920): “Germany in China”. Here, Krebs describes trade with China up to 1917 and gives an outlook on future possibilities for cooperation, some of which is still current today. In this context, Krebs speaks of a violent (!) Acquisition and centers this on the statement: “Indeed! The eighty-year history of China's closer relations with European states represents an uninterrupted chain of violations of China's territorial and sovereign rights in the political, economic and cultural fields. He concludes his remarks 'Right over Might!' "

Luigi Barzini: Mugden. Translated from Italian by cancer.

See also

literature

  • Peter Hahn (Ed.): Emil Krebs - Kurier des Geistes , with contributions by Harald Braun (foreword), Katrin Amunts, Otto Julius Bierbaum , Peter Hahn, Gunnar Hille, Eckhard Hoffmann, Antonio Reda, Hans-Ulrich Seidt and Jürgen Stich, Badenweiler 2011, ISBN 978-3-88922-097-4
  • Eckhard Hoffmann: Emil Krebs. A linguistic genius in the service of diplomacy , Wiesbaden 2017, ISBN 978-3-447-10740-2
  • Eckhard Hoffmann: Emil Krebs Ṥląski poliglota, Ṥwidnica 2017 , ISBN 978-83-948918-0-0
  • Michael Erard: Babel no more: the search for the world's most extraordinary language learners , New York, NY [u. a.]: Free Press, 2012, ISBN 978-1-4516-2825-8

Web links

Individual evidence

The basic data of the following individual references are taken from the archives mentioned below and are listed in the book by Eckhard Hoffmann: Emil Krebs (1867–1930) A language genius in the service of diplomacy , Wiesbaden 2017, ISBN 978-3-447-10740-2 . The individual references in the aforementioned book are marked with the abbreviation "EH".

  1. ↑ Cecile and Oskar Vogt Archive, Düsseldorf, Interview with Dr. Zwirner / Mande Krebs in the brain research center Berlin-Buch 1930; Obituary Prof. Dr. Eduard Erkes, Litterae Orientales 1931, pp. 13 and 14; EH: pages 104-107 and 142/143
  2. ^ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs' personal file, pp. 160/179 to 181; EH page 82
  3. ^ Inventory from 1932 (privately owned); Book "Emil Krebs Kurier des Geistes" Oase Verlag Badenweiler, p. 178/179; EH pages 117/118 and 129 - 137
  4. ↑ Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, 1930 edition, No. 22, pp. 979/981; Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Volume 2, pp. 147–153. EH: pages 2-5
  5. ↑ Quote from the head of the SOS, Prof Sachau: "The same person (meaning cancer) is, according to the judgment of the acting director of the relevant seminar, a very talented young man and appears to be excellently disposed for linguistic studies", Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil personnel file Krebs, Volume 2, pages 7/8; EH: Pages 7/8
  6. ↑ Here, too, source of all information: Foreign Office, Political Archive, Personal File Emil Krebs Volume 2; EH: Pages 9/10
  7. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Vol. 1–3. EH: pages 19-67
  8. ↑ Biographical Handbook of the Foreign Service 1871–1945, Ed. Foreign Office, Schöningh Verlag Volume 2, pp. 647f.
  9. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Volume 1, pp. 81/82. EH: page 21
  10. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Volume 1, pages 81/82; EH: page 21 ff
  11. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Vol. 1, pp. 133/135 .; EH: Pages 24/25
  12. ↑ Biographical Handbook of the Foreign Service 1871–1945, Ed. Foreign Office, Schöningh Verlag Volume 2, p. 648.
  13. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Vol. 1, Pages 140/141; EH: Pages 28 and 67
  14. ↑ "Since the Chinese diplomats have only rarely understood a language other than the national language up to now, the position of first interpreter in Beijing gained a similar importance as that in Constantinople. It was also expressed externally in the fact that the First Interpreter in Beijing, as a result of his dealings with local circles, had to fulfill relatively greater representational duties than the representative of the Ambassador, the First Secretary of the Legation, with whom he was in the same salary class. Accordingly, the local allowance granted to the first interpreter in Beijing by the budget was considerably higher than that of the first secretary of the legation. ”Letter from the Foreign Office to the Reich Ministry of Finance. Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Vol. 2, Pages 156/157; EH: page 47
  15. ↑ "Legation councilor Krebs, a polyglot celebrity, was often consulted by Chinese authorities on grammatical issues." Ambassador Werner Otto von Hentig "My life - a business trip" from p. 32 .; EH: page 144
  16. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Vol. 2, Pages 156/157; EH: page 31
  17. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Vol. 2 without page numbers; EH: page 49
  18. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Volume 2, Page 75; EH: pages 52/53
  19. ↑ "(...) There is a force working in the Foreign Office who would be excellently suited to checking the translations from a number of languages ​​factually and linguistically. This force is Mr. LR Krebs, who has the phenomenal ability to be able to translate from approx. 45 languages ​​into German in an officially usable form and thus combine an astonishing amount of knowledge about the cultural conditions of the individual countries. " Later statement by the head of the language service at the time, Paul Gautier (1889–1965): "Cancer replaces 30 external employees." Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Volume 2, pp. 179–181 .; EH: page 82
  20. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Personal File Emil Krebs Volume 2 pp. 172–174 .; EH: pages 78-80
  21. ^ Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach Foundation Essen, Krupp Historical Archive, FAH 4 E847; EH: pages 83-94
  22. ↑ Letter of November 11, 1917 to Minister of Education Schmitt-Ott "(...) Professors de Groot and Müller are most sympathetic to the idea of ​​'keeping cancer in Germany and gaining one's abilities for the service of science.'" , Krupp Historical Archive, FAH 4 E847; EH: page 86
  23. ↑ Quotation: "This (cancer) has also been active in China for over 25 years and is probably the best expert on the Chinese and all other oriental countries in the world. To give up one's strength for the future in China, seems completely impossible to me, because, especially as a language expert, he cannot be replaced at all. " Historisches Archiv Krupp, FAH 4 E847, letter dated November 24, 1919; EH: Pages 91 and 99
  24. ^ "The development of the Chinese Collection in the Library of Congress" by Shu Chao Hu. Westview Press, Boulder, Colorado, 1979; EH: pages 113/114
  25. ^ The 240-page inventory overview compiled by his widow in 1930/1931 is now in private hands; EH: Pages 117/118 and 129-137
  26. ↑ Foreign Office, Political Archive, Emil Krebs Personnel File, Volume 2, Page 160; EH: page 108
  27. ^ Book "Emil Krebs Kurier des Geistes", co-author Katrin Amunts "The brain of a language genius" from page 180; EH: pages 102-104
  28. ^ "The brain of the linguistic genius in the Oskar Vogt Institute ", Märkische Allgemeine Zeitung, March 31, 2005
  29. ^ Emil Krebs - A life for languages. January 16, 2020, accessed January 16, 2020 .
  30. ↑ Quote from the foreword by the editor Prof. Berthold Laufer: "(...) His (Krebs) staff benefited the cause to a great extent, as the texts are written in the Beijing vernacular, which he has mastered with full mastery Allusions to local conditions have found the right interpreter in him; in difficult cases he was also able to seek advice from Beijing shadow actors. In particular, Mr. Krebs' work extends in three directions. He has a number of (23 in total, plus The solos) of Grube's untranslated pieces independently and with great skill. These translations are marked as such in each individual case. He then completed unfinished translations of Grube, subjected the already completed translations to a thorough review, which the deceased was denied, compared them with the original and added improvements and explanations . He has also checked the Chinese texts, critically edited those that had not yet been copied and brought all of the text material into print-ready condition. "; EH: Pages 147–149
  31. ↑ Publication "Contemporary Criminal Legislation" by Franz v. Liszt from 1898 .; EH page 146, footnote no.7
  32. ↑ Manuscript Krupp Archive FAH A E847 pp. 135–166 .; EH: pages 184-210
  33. ↑ Krupp archive FAH A E847 letter dated 26 October 1919 .; EH page 184
personal data
SURNAME Cancer, Emil
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German sinologist and multilingual
DATE OF BIRTH November 15, 1867
PLACE OF BIRTH Freiburg in Silesia
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 1930
Place of death Berlin