Paul Georg von Möllendorff

Paul Georg von Möllendorff in official costume as Korean Vice Minister

Paul Georg von Möllendorff (born February 17, 1847 in Zehdenick , Brandenburg province , † April 20, 1901 in Ningbo , China) was a German linguist and temporary diplomat . He worked in East Asia as an interpreter at German consulates , as a senior official in the Chinese maritime customs authority and as an influential Vice Minister of the Kingdom of Korea .

Youth, education, family

See also : Moellendorff (noble family)

Paul Georg von Möllendorff was the older son of the Prussian Economic Commissioner Georg v. Möllendorff and his wife Emma geb. Meyer . He attended elementary school and high school in Görlitz . From 1865 he studied at the Friedrichs-Universität Halle and became a member of the Corps Normannia-Halle . In addition to law and oriental studies , he also took philological subjects. Among other things, he learned the Hebrew language to a rare degree, but not an East Asian language. In 1869 he finished his studies without a degree and, on the recommendation of a friend of the family, took a position in the maritime customs service that was set up by the British Robert Hart for the Chinese Empire in its ports. After receiving travel documents and an advance payment in Berlin, he went to Shanghai , a journey that at that time - to Trieste by train, from there on various ships - lasted eight weeks.

During a vacation in Germany in 1877 Möllendorff married Rosalie Holthausen, with whom he had daughters Emma, ​​Margarete and Dora.

China

In Shanghai and Hankou , where he was soon transferred, he learned Chinese very quickly and thoroughly and took the intended language test early. Customs activities here and at other places of work did not satisfy him in the long run. He left the Chinese service in 1874 and joined the German consular service as an interpreter, to which he was a member in various parts of China until 1882. Here, too, he found no satisfaction, especially since he did not receive the initially promised position of consul. He switched back to Chinese service with the provincial governor and grand chancellor Li Hongzhang in Tianjin , who was then the most important statesman in China. Li was u. a. responsible for relations with Korea, which was a traditional vassal to China .

Korea

Li wanted to open Korea, the "Hermit Kingdom ", to relations with western countries and prevent Japanese influence. In December 1882 he sent Möllendorff to Seoul as a consultant . Möllendorff - the first Western foreigner whom the Korean King Gojong got to know - had studied Korean for the previous weeks and was able to introduce himself to the king in one sentence in the local language. He quickly won his trust and was appointed vice foreign minister and head of the Korean customs service that was to be established. Soon he held other offices, was the most important advisor to the king and played a decisive role in the practical implementation of the trade agreement concluded shortly beforehand with the USA as well as in the contracts that Korea subsequently concluded with Germany , Great Britain , Russia and Italy . He initiated developments or reforms in many areas, e.g. B. Revitalization of old crafts, industrialization, monetary system, school system, foreign language teaching, medicine, criminal law and freedom of religion. In his way of life, he adapted to Asian customs, took the Korean name Mok In-Dok and was popular with the population. Some observers went so far as to call Möllendorff the "real ruler of Korea".

He set himself the goal of making Korea as autonomous and independent as possible, also independent of China. He wanted to stabilize the country's foreign policy - the traditional bone of contention between China and Japan - through closer ties to Russia as the third power. From 1884 onwards, with the consent and support of the King (Gojong), he conducted corresponding secret negotiations with Russian representatives in Japan. After it became known, however, this plan met with strong rejection not only from the part of the Korean cabinet loyal to China (especially in the foreign ministry that was recently created and led by Kim Yunsik), but also from the great powers Japan, China, Great Britain and the USA. In order to conceal his own involvement in the failed undertaking and to forestall the intervention of the great powers, King Gojong of China demanded the recall of Möllendorff. This took place in the fall of 1885. An attempted reinstatement in 1888, which Gojong wished, failed due to the protests of the great powers.

Back in China

Möllendorff returned to the Chinese customs service in 1889, initially in Shanghai . Here he also found time for linguistic and literary work. In 1896 and 1897 he was President of the prestigious Royal Asiatic Society , China Branch . In 1897 he became Commissioner of Customs (customs director) in the comparatively backward port city of Ningbo , where he carried out various reforms in addition to his service activities. It was now known in China as 穆麟德, Mù Líndé ( Standard Chinese ). The persecution of foreigners in the Boxer Rebellion in 1900 passed Ningbo by without bloodshed thanks to Möllendorff's reputation and moderating influence. His German wife had moved to Germany with their three daughters in 1899 because of their school education. He himself wanted to go on vacation in Germany in 1901, but died shortly before his planned departure under unexplained circumstances (sudden illness or poisoning).

Fonts

• Manual of Chinese Bibliography, being a List of Works and Essays Relating to China (together with OF von Möllendorff). Shanghai, London a. Goerlitz 1876
• Essay on Manchu Literature . In: Journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society . Vol. XXIV. Pp. 1-45 (1889)
• A Manchu Grammar: With Analyzed Texts. Shanghai 1892
• The Jews in China . In: Monthly for the history and science of Judaism . Vol. 1893-1895, pp. 327-331
• The world literature. A list with an introduction . Shanghai 1894 (in contrast to other, similar lists, expressly takes into account Chinese, Hebrew and neo-Latin literature)
• Chinese family law . Shanghai 1895
• On the Limitations of Comparative Philology . In: Journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society . Vol. XXXI. Pp. 1–21 (1896–97)
• Classification des dialectes chinois . Ningpo 1899
• Ningpo Syllabary . Shanghai 1901
• Practical guide to learning the standard Chinese language . 4th edition Shanghai 1906
• Ningpo Colloquial Handbook (Ed. GW Sheppard). Shanghai 1910

literature

• Jürgen Kleiner: Paul Georg von Möllendorff. A Prussian in Korean service . In: Journal of the German Oriental Society . Vol. 133, pp. 393-434 (1983) ( online )
• Eun-Jeung Lee: Paul Georg von Möllendorff. A German reformer in Korea . Tokyo / Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-89129-939-5
• Yur-Bok Lee: West goes East. Paul Georg von Möllendorff and great power imperialism in late Yi Korea . Honolulu 1988, ISBN 0-8248-1150-X
• Walter Leifer: Paul Georg von Möllendorff. A German statesman in Korea . Saarbrücken 1988
• Rosalie von Möllendorff: PG von Möllendorff. A picture of life . Leipzig 1930
• Hartmut Walravens:  Moellendorff, Paul Georg. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 17, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1994, ISBN 3-428-00198-2 , pp. 629-631 ( digitized version ).

Web links

• Hans-A. Kneider: Paul Georg von Möllendorff: Minister at the Korean royal court

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kösener Corpslisten 1930, 60 , 173.