Otto Schlapp was born in Erfurt, in Thuringia, Germany, on 15 May 1859. Schlapp was educated first in his native town and then, at the age of twenty, at the University of Jena. In 1880, the second year of his studies, he came to Scotland to study English and Sanskrit at Edinburgh University. In 1881, Schlapp returned to Germany to continue his studies at Berlin, Leipzig, and Strasbourg universities. Later on, he obtained the degree of Dr.Philos from Kaiser-Wilhelms-Universitaet zu Strassburg (Strasbourg), with a thesis entitled
Gen.2187 - The papers of Professor Otto Schlapp include: class certificates, session 1880-81, for Rhetoric and English Literature, and Sanskrit and Comparative Philology; a medal, session 1880-81, for Sanskrit; LL.D diploma dated 1930; letters, tributes and a decorated formal address on retirement, 11 July 1929; a copy of Schlapp's thesis; a copy of his letter of application to the Chair along with testimonials and other documents; an address on the place of modern languages in examinations for bursaries to Scottish universities, 1900; certificates of renunciation of German citizenship and of British naturalisation; invitations and photographs; cuttings relating to Scott and Carlyle medallions; and, etchings of the University etc.
E2012.01 - In 1972, Professor Otto Schlapp presented an album entitled
The immediate source of the Schlapp papers (Gen.2187) was Dr. Robert Schlapp (1899-1991), son of Professor Otto Schlapp and Senior Lecturer in Mathematical Physics at Edinburgh University. The papers were received in August 1984. Accession no. E84.27.
The Storm album was found on general shelves in the Main Library in December 2011, and accessioned to Special Collections with Accession no: E2012.01.
Generally open for consultation to bona fide researchers, but please contact repository for details in advance.
Important finding aids generally are: the alphabetical Index to Manuscripts held at Edinburgh University Library, Special Collections and Archives, consisting of typed slips in sheaf binders and to which additions were made until 1987; and the Index to Accessions Since 1987.
The local Indexes show various references to Otto Schlapp material (check the Indexes for more details): various letters of Schlapp, including his application for the German Chair, in Sar.Coll.33. and Sar.Coll.142/1 (Gen. 202 and Gen. 237); a book presented to Schlapp at Df.4.67, and a mention in a letter at Gen. 767/10; and, some 21 notebooks of notes of his lectures in German taken down 1913-1914, at Gen. 1862. The Library, Special Collections Division, also holds another copy of Schlapp's thesis