Jens-Uwe Hartmann

Jens-Uwe Hartmann is a Professor of Indology at the University of Munich, specializing in Indian Buddhist literature. He has held visiting appointments at prestigious institutions including the Collège de France, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University. He is a full member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (2001) and a corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2007).

Education:

• Habilitation, Indology, University of Göttingen (1992)
• Ph.D., Indology, University of Munich (1984)
• M.A., Indology, University of Munich (1977)

Research interests focus on the recovery and reconstruction of Indian Buddhist texts from Indic manuscripts, emphasizing canonical works and poetry. His work integrates analysis of original Indic sources with Chinese and Tibetan translations, contributing to understanding early Buddhist doctrines and literary traditions.

Key publications include the Varṇārhavarṇastotra edition (1987), a study on the Dīrghāgama (1992), and the Buddhist Manuscripts series spanning 2000–2016, which documents ancient manuscripts from Afghanistan and explores digital methodologies for manuscript research.

Scientific honors include

• Full membership in the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (2001)
• Corresponding membership in the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2007)

Grants & projects include a Käte Hamburger Kolleg Fellowship (2019) for his project "The Formation of Mahāyāna Buddhism" and longstanding leadership in Buddhist manuscript preservation initiatives.