Padma Shri for German Sanskrit scholar

The Government of India has announced the conferment of the Padma Shri on German citizen Dr. Annette Schmiedchen on Sunday.

German Ambassador to India Michael Steiner has congratulated Dr. Schmiedchen for receiving the Indian award.

Dr. Annette Schmiedchen is a Sanskrit scholar and Indologist, and also the wife of Consul General of Germany in Kolkata, Rainer Schmiedchen.

The Padma Shri Award recognises her work in the fields of the Sanskrit language and Indology.

In a statement issued by the German Embassy, Ambassador Steiner said: “I am very happy. I have extended my heartiest congratulations to Dr. Annette Schmiedchen. The awarding of the Padma Shri is a great honour and a recognition of Dr. Schmiedchen's significant work as well as of the contribution of German scholars to the research on the Sanskrit language since the 19th century. Indology as well as Sanskrit research and teaching at German universities are highly reputed world-wide. Furthermore, I am convinced that the announcement of this Award by the Indian Government on the occasion of Republic Day will boost the long-standing and successful Indo-German cooperation in the fields of ancient and modern languages.”

Annette Schmiedchen, born 1966, studied Ancient Indian History, Indology, and Sanskrit Epigraphy at Humboldt University in Berlin.

She obtained her PhD from Humboldt University in 1994 with a thesis on “Grants of Villages, Land, and Money in Favour of Buddhist Monasteries in Northern India from the 5th to the 8th Centuries”.

In 2009, she obtained her Habilitation degree from Martin Luther University in Halle for her thesis on “Epigraphical Culture and Regional Tradition in Early Medieval Maharashtra. The Legitimating of Political Power and Official Religious Patronage under the Royal Dynasties of the Rastrakutas, Silaharas, and Yadavas from the 8th to the 13th Centuries”.

Annette Schmiedchen has been appointed Research Fellow (honorary) of the International Association of Sanskrit Studies.

She is affiliated to Martin Luther University as lecturer of Indology and to Humboldt University as researcher in an intercultural research project on medieval religious foundations and endowments, funded by the European Research Council.

Upon learning of the Award, Schmiedchen said in a statement issued by the German Embassy: “I feel deeply honoured and understand the award as a great encouragement to language cooperation and to pursue Sanskrit-based studies in India as well as outside India, and as a strong symbolic support for nari shakti in social sciences. Since 1992, I have come to India regularly for my research, and I would like to use this opportunity to thank the Indian Council for Cultural Relations for funding my first stay and the Jawaharlal Nehru University for hosting me.”