August Hermann Francke (1870−1930), die Ladakh Agbar und die ersten tibetischen Zeitungen

Abstract

August Herman Francke (1870–1930) was the first Professor of Tibetology in Germany. But as a Moravian missionary, his work in Tibet was driven by an interest much different from the Buddhological and philological incentives prevalent at the time. In his position at the Moravian Mission in Ladakh, he worked to gain a deeper understanding of the society and people of Ladakh in order to bring them the Christian faith. This desire to reach out to the Ladakhi people inspired him to start what would become the first Tibetan newspaper by combining his linguistic and academic knowledge with his proselytizing mission. The result, the Ladakh Akhbar, was the first Tibetan newspaper and marked the beginning of the Tibetan language press. This article introduces the reader to the early development of the Tibetan press both in the Himalayan border regions and in Tibet and China.