Hammer-Purgstall — Chambers's Encyclopaedia

Hammer-Purgstall, JOSEPH, FREIHERR VON, orientalist, was born at Gratz, 9th July 1774, studied at Vienna, and lived from 1799 to 1806 as interpreter at Constantinople, afterwards becoming a court councillor at Vienna. He was ennobled in 1835 on succeeding by inheritance to the Styrian estates of the Countess von Purgstall, the last of her race. He died at Vienna, 23d November 1856. He had a wide but rather superficial knowledge of Turkish, Arabic, Persian, and other eastern languages, and his industry and zeal did much to push forward the good work of opening up the East to the West. Of his books may be named, in the region of history, Geschichte der Assassinen (1818); Geschichte des Osman. Reichs (2d ed. 1834-36); Gemäldeaal Moslim. Herrscher (1837-39); Geschichte der Ilchane (1843); Gesch. der Chane der Krim (1856); in that of literary history, Gesch. der schönen Redekünste Persiens (1818); Gesch. der Osman. Dichtkunst (1836-38); Litteraturgeschichte der Araber (1850-57). See Schlottmann's Life (1857).