author
Franz Kühn
A German translator who opened the door to classic Chinese fiction for generations of European readers. Best known for bringing works like Dream of the Red Chamber into German, he helped shape how these stories traveled beyond China.
1 Audiobook
Barbarossa
by Franz Kühn
About the author
Born in Frankenberg, Saxony, on March 10, 1884, Franz Walther Kuhn was trained as a lawyer but became far better known for his work as a sinologist and literary translator. He studied law in Leipzig and also spent time in Berlin studying Chinese, building the unusual mix of skills that would define his career.
Kuhn is chiefly remembered for translating major Chinese novels into German, including Dream of the Red Chamber. He also translated a large number of Chinese stories and novels that introduced many German-speaking readers to classical and popular Chinese fiction for the first time.
He died in Freiburg im Breisgau on January 22, 1961. His translations remained influential well beyond Germany, and some were later used as the basis for versions in other European languages.