Otto Böhtlingk, whose forefathers adopted the Dutch nationality in order to be able to settle as merchants in the Russian Empire.
According to the research of Agnes Stache-Weiske, this claim, which can be found in various places (e.g. Windisch, Kern, Mylius), is not true. It is correct that Böhtlingk's father belonged to the Dutch merchant community in St. Petersburg, but according to Stache-Weiske this says nothing about his nationality. A relatively sure indication, however, is the religious affiliation of the family, which from the beginning belonged to the German Lutheran congregation in St. Petersburg and not to the Dutch Reformed Church.
Böhtlingk's father only acquired Russian citizenship shortly before his death, but only for himself and not for his family. It was only when he was awarded the title of nobility that Otto Böhtlingk himself became a Russian citizen in 1888.
Compare Agnes Stache-Weiske: "... für die Wißenschaft, der ich von ganzer Seele lebe", Otto Böhtlingk (1815-1904): ein Gelehrtenleben, rekonstruiert und beschrieben anhand seiner Briefe, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2017,, p. 12 f.
Best, Roland Steiner _______________________________________________ INDOLOGY mailing list [email protected] https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology
