Olearius, Adam

(also Adam Ölschläger). Born Aug. 16, 1603, in Saxony; died Feb. 23, 1671, in Gottorp, Schleswig. German scholar.

Olearius studied at the University of Leipzig, where he later taught. He served as court mathematician and librarian for the Duke of Holstein. He knew Russian and Arabic. In 1633–34, Olearius visited Russia as a member of the Schleswig-Holstein embassy; he traveled in Iran during a journey that lasted from 1635 to 1639. In 1639 he settled in Gottorp. In 1643, Olearius began editing the diaries of his journeys, which were later published in German in Schleswig in 1647.

Olearius’ works provide information about the geography and history of Russia and about the peoples who lived there, their settlements, and their customs and mores. His works contain many maps and drawings. He published a German translation of works by Persian and Arab poets, including Saadi’s Gulistan (The Rose Garden), in 1654.