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Questions about Annemarie Schimmel

Short answers, pulled from the story.

When was Annemarie Schimmel born and when did she die?

Annemarie Schimmel was born on the 7th of April 1922 in Erfurt, Germany, and she died on the 26th of January 2003, having spent her final years in Bonn.

What was Annemarie Schimmel's academic specialty?

Annemarie Schimmel was a German scholar of Islamic studies who focused especially on Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, alongside broader work on Islamic literature and culture.

Where did Annemarie Schimmel teach before joining Harvard University?

Before Harvard, Annemarie Schimmel taught at Marburg University starting in 1946 and later at Ankara University in Turkey, where she was the first woman and the first non-Muslim to teach theology.

Why did Annemarie Schimmel's 1995 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade cause controversy?

The 1995 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade caused controversy because Annemarie Schimmel had defended the Islamic world's outrage against Salman Rushdie's 1988 novel The Satanic Verses in a televised interview.

What languages did Annemarie Schimmel speak?

Annemarie Schimmel spoke German, English, Turkish, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Punjabi, and she translated poetry and literature from several of these languages into English and German.

What made Annemarie Schimmel well known at the Metropolitan Museum of Art?

As a consultant to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Annemarie Schimmel was known for her ability to date manuscripts and objects from the style of their calligraphy alone, a skill colleagues described as almost photographic.