Franz Kuhn


Franz Walther Kuhn was a German lawyer and translator chiefly remembered for translating many Chinese novels into German, most famously the Dream of the Red Chamber.

Biography

Kuhn studied law at the University of Leipzig and the University of Berlin, passing his state examination in 1908 and obtaining his doctorate in 1909. He began to practice law in Dresden in 1909. He was soon assigned to the German delegation to Peking as an interpreter, having completed a course of Chinese during his study at Berlin. He stayed in China until 1912.
After the First World War, Kuhn began to translate classic Chinese literature into German. Eventually he ran into conflict with the Nazi authorities, who considered his works to be harmful. After the end of World War II, Kuhn's work began to be more widely known and appreciated. He received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1952.
Jorge Luis Borges attributes the discovery of a "paradoxical list of animals" to Kuhn. The list has become the subject of much modern commentary after it was cited by Foucault. However, Borges's attribution is the only known evidence that either such a work existed or that Kuhn discussed it.

Translations

Chinesische Staatsweisheit, Darmstadt 1923Chinesische Meisternovellen, Leipzig 1926Eisherz und Edeljaspis oder Die Geschichte einer glücklichen Gattenwahl, Leipzig 1926Die Rache des jungen Meh oder Das Wunder der zweiten Pflaumenblüte, Leipzig 1927Das Perlenhemd, Leipzig 1928Kin Ping Meh oder Die abenteuerliche Geschichte von Hsi Men und seinen sechs Frauen, Leipzig 1930Fräulein Tschang, Berlin 1931Der Traum der roten Kammer, Leipzig 1932Die Räuber vom Liang-Schan-Moor, Leipzig 1934Die Jadelibelle, Berlin 1936Das Juwelenkästchen, Dresden 1937
  • Mao Dun: Schanghai im Zwielicht, Dresden 1938Die dreizehnstöckige Pagode, Berlin 1939Mondfrau und Silbervase, Berlin 1939Die drei Reiche, Berlin 1940Das Rosenaquarell, Zürich 1947Das Tor der östlichen Blüte, Düsseldorf 1949Und Buddha lacht, Baden-Baden 1950Der Turm der fegenden Wolken, Freiburg i. Br. 1951Kin Ku Ki Kwan, Zürich 1952Goldamsel flötet am Westsee, Freiburg i. Br. 1953Wen Kang: Die schwarze Reiterin, Zürich 1954Blumenschatten hinter dem Vorhang, Freiburg i. Br. 1956Altchinesische Liebesgeschichten, Wiesbaden 1958Die schöne Li. Vom Totenhemd ins Brautkleid, Wiesbaden 1959Li Yü: Jou pu tuan, Zürich 1959Goldjunker Sung und andere Novellen aus dem Kin Ku Ki Kwan, Zürich 1960