518 MEMOIR OF FLEtSCfiER. 



one or two exceptions, gradually led to the establishment of personal 

 relations, in which he always gave more than he received. His co-la- 

 borers in Germany, as well as in more than one foreign land, by degrees 

 grew accustomed to ask his advice, claim his help, which he granted 

 to strangers as freely as to his own pupils. Thus it happened that for 

 many a year no Arabic text of any importance was printed in Germany 

 without owing to him considerable improvements, and likewise more 

 than one valuable work by foreign Arabists has received simihir aid. 

 Sometimes he revised the proof-sheets as they wereprinted ; sometimes, 

 after the appearance of single volumes, he arranged the notes, taken 

 during its careful perusal, so that they might profitably be used iu ap- 

 pendices, possi))ly to be added. There is quite a library of Arabic writ- 

 ings, in the building up of which he has thus participated. Here are 

 some of the important works, selected at hap-hazard : Amari's Bihliotheca 

 Araho-Sicula, JuynboU's Abulmahdsin, the MaMari, Tornberg's Ibn el- 

 Athir, Wustenfeld's JaciU, Fliigel's Fihrist, Wright's Edmil, de Goeje's 

 Bihliotheca Geographorimi, Jahn's Ib7i YaHsh. This critical work was 

 naturally accompanied by an extensive correspondence, which took the 

 more time as it was conducted with an almost exaggerated conscientious- 

 ness. But in no other way could these numberless connections have 

 been maintained so regularly and so steadfastly. 



As Oriental studies advanced in Germany the necessity of establish- 

 ing closer connections between the representatives of the different de- 

 partments was keenly felt early in the third decade of this century. 

 To effect a union of this kind Ewald, Kosegarten, Kodiger, Riickert, 

 and some others established, in 1837, the Journal for the Science of the 

 Orient {Zeitschrift fur die Kunde des Morgenlandes). From 1838, the 

 philologists' conventions offered x)lace and opportunity for personal 

 intercourse between men in all departments of Oriental research. Thus 

 Eodiger was but giving shape to an idea that had long been enter- 

 tained when he proposed on the occasion of a visit, in September, 1843, 

 at Fleischer's house, where Pott, Olshausen, von der Gabelentz, and 

 Brockhaus were also present, thatGermau orientalists, as abody, should 

 hold sessions annually iu connection with the conventions of philolo- 

 gists. As is well known, this plan was executed in 1844, at the Dresden 

 meeting. The consultations held there resulted in the formation, at 

 next year's meeting, on October 2, 1845, at Darmstadt, of a German 

 Oriental Society, modelled after the Societe Asiatique and the Royal 

 Asiatic Society. The Journal of the new society absorbed, in 1847, the 

 Zeitschrift fur die Kunde des Morgenlandes. From the first, Fleischer 

 displayed zealous interest iu the plan. The Dresden council was held 

 under his presidency, and the first draughtof the constitution issued iVom 

 his pen. His certificate of membership was the first conferred, and, up 

 to the time of his resignation from the governing body, in 1880, it may 

 be said, without disparagement to many faithful and deserving men, 

 that he was the soul of the association, unselfishly, as always, devoting 



