Remembering Denis Sinor (1916-2011)

Remembering Denis Sinor (1916-2011)

Barbara Kellner-Heinkele
Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

(59th Annual Meeting of the PIAC, 2016)

On 17 April 2016, colleagues, friends and disciples of Professor Dr. Denis Sinor remembered the 100th return of his birth. The 59th Annual Meeting of the Permanent International Altaistic Conference in Ardahan, Turkey, offers the ideal occasion to celebrate the memory of this master of Altaic and Central Eurasian Studies, who was also one of the founding fathers of the PIAC and its Secretary General from 1960 to 2007. This communication will try to highlight the main stages of Denis Sinor’s life and his main scholarly achievements as well as his outstanding contribution to the establishment and fostering of Altaic Studies in academic institutions worldwide. His personality was no less extraordinary than his scholarly accomplishments: Unforgettable for friends and colleagues are his personal charm, engaging energy, and brilliant wit.