Samuel Miklos Stern (Tab, Hungary, 22 November 1920 –Oxford,United Kingdom, 29 October 1969) was aHungarian–British academic specializing inOriental studies.
He was born to anOrthodox Jewish family in Hungary, and lost his father at the age of three. His mother took over his early education, and ensured his upbringing in a religious-minded Jewish manner; Stern learned to readHebrew before he could read theLatin alphabet.[1] He continued his education at aBenedictine school and at agymnasium inBudapest, where he acquired knowledge of Greek and Latin. At the same time, Stern began learning Arabic on his own.[1] With the rise ofNazi Germany, in 1939 his mother sent Stern to safety inMandatory Palestine. She remained behind, and would be killed during theHolocaust.[1]
In Palestine he enrolled in theHebrew University of Jerusalem, where he studied under a series of prominent teachers, including the ArabistDavid H. Baneth, the SemiticistHans J. Polotsky, the philosopherLeon Roth, the historian of Islamic philosophyJulius Guttmann, and the RomanistHiram Pflaum-Peri.[1] At the Hebrew University he also met and befriendedShelomo Dov Goitein, who introduced him to medieval Islamic history.[1] DuringWorld War II he interrupted his studies and served with the British censor office atBaghdad andPort Sudan. He finished his university studies in 1947.[1][2] During his war service Stern met the OrientalistPaul Kraus, who introduced him toIsma'ili studies, a major area of interest for Stern during his later career.[1]
After completing his degree, he went toOxford University for post-graduate studies underH. A. R. Gibb atSt. Catherine's College. He completed his PhD onAndalusistrophic poetry (The Old AndalusianMuwashshah, published posthumously asHispano-Arabic Strophic Poetry) in 1950.[1][2] He would remain based at Oxford University for the remainder of his life: he accepted invitations to lecture at other institutions, but refused any permanent position, despite offers from the likes ofHarvard University.[1] At Oxford he lived in the same house as his close friends, ProfessorRichard Walzer and his wife Sofie.[1][2]
In 1951–1956, Stern served as assistant editor for the second edition of theEncyclopaedia of Islam.[1][2] In 1956–57 he was Assistant Keeper of Oriental Coins at theAshmolean Museum in Oxford, followed by being elected to a Research Fellowship atAll Souls College.[1][2] From 1964 and until his death he was additionally Lecturer In the History of the Islamic Civilization.[1][2] Stern died of a severeasthma attack in October 1969.[1]
Stern was a prolific scholar who wrote on a variety of topics and issues.[1][2] By the time of his death, he had 265 publications, including a few books. Most of his writings on medieval Islamic history and civilization were posthumously collected and reprinted in threeVariorum Collected Studies volumes (Medieval Arabic and Hebrew Thought in 1983,History and Culture in the Medieval Muslim World in 1984 andCoins and Documents from the Medieval Middle East in 1986).[1]
