Alexander von Zagareli

Who is Alexander von Zagareli?

Alexander Anton von Zagareli was a Georgian linguist. He was professor at Saint Petersburg State University an co-founder of Tbilisi State University.

Zagareli was born in Kaspi, Georgia. He studied at the University of Tübingen, Vienna, Munich and Saint Petersburg. In 1869 he became a member of Landsmannschaft Schottland. Zagareli habilitated at age 27 at the Saint Petersburg State University. There he became a docent for Georgian Literature and later professor for Oriental Languages. Nicholas Marr was one of his most famous students. Zagareli remained at the Georgian language department at Saint Petersburg for over half a century, until his return to Georgia in 1922. The nearly 80-year-old Zagareli left Russia to take up academic positions at Tbilisi State University.

He died in Tbilisi and was interred at the Mtatsminda Pantheon at Tbilisi.