 |
Alexander BennigsenFrench orientalist and sovietologist
Date of Birth: 20.03.1913
Country:  France |
Content:
- Family Lineage
- Early Life and Education
- Military Service and Resistance
- Academic Career
- Personal Life
- Masonic Affiliation
- Death and Legacy
Family Lineage
Alexandre Bennigsen was born into a renowned family of scholars and diplomats. His father, Adam Pavlovich Bennigsen, was a well-known historian, and his mother, Feofania Vladimirovna Khvolson, was the granddaughter of the renowned Orientalist Daniel Avraamovich Khvolson. His maternal grandmother, Anna Borisovna Khvolson, was a popular children's writer.
Early Life and Education
After the Russian Revolution, Bennigsen's family emigrated to Estonia and then settled in Paris in 1924. There, he attended the École Supérieure des Langues Orientales (Higher School of Oriental Languages).
Military Service and Resistance
During World War II, Bennigsen served as a lieutenant in the 5th Dragoon Regiment of the French Army (1939-1940). After the German occupation of France, he actively participated in the Resistance movement.
Academic Career
Bennigsen later pursued a distinguished academic career, becoming a professor at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (School of Advanced Studies) in Paris. He specialized in the study of Islam in the USSR.
Personal Life
Bennigsen was married to Baroness Elena Petrovna Bilderling, daughter of Baron Peter Alexandrovich Bilderling. They had a daughter, Maria Alexandrovna Bennigsen-Broxup, who became a noted political scientist.
Masonic Affiliation
Bennigsen was also a member of the Masonic lodge "Aurore Boréale" No. 523 (Grand Lodge of France). He was initiated on March 25, 1939, and raised to the second degree on January 23, 1940. He remained a member of the lodge until the outbreak of the war.
Death and Legacy
Alexandre Bennigsen passed away in 1988 and was laid to rest at the Cemetery of Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois. He left behind a significant legacy as a renowned Orientalist, historian, and scholar of Islam.
