etz ▁( now ▁Ś wie cie , ▁Poland ) ▁to ▁a ▁family ▁of ▁Jewish ▁origin ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁As ▁a ▁young ▁man , ▁Stein ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁occ ult , ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁from ▁there ▁that ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁Tib et ▁began . ▁ ▁He ▁received ▁his ▁first ▁degree ▁in ▁Chinese ▁from ▁the ▁Sem inar ▁für ▁Oriental ische ▁Sp ra chen ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Berlin ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁He ▁fled ▁to ▁France ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁He ▁obtained ▁degrees ▁from ▁l ' É cole ▁nationale ▁des ▁lang ues ▁orient ales ▁viv antes ▁in ▁Chinese ▁( 1 9 3 4 ) ▁and ▁Japanese ▁( 1 9 3 6 ). ▁In ▁Paris ▁he ▁studied ▁Tib et an ▁with ▁Jacques ▁Bac ot ▁and ▁Marc elle ▁L al ou . ▁He ▁became ▁a ▁French ▁citiz en ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁August ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁Stein ▁spent ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War ▁in ▁French ▁Ind o - Ch ina , ▁working ▁as ▁a ▁transl ator ▁and ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁taken ▁prisoner ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁He ▁completed ▁his ▁doctor at ▁d ' État ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 ▁on ▁the ▁Ges ar ▁ep ic . ▁ ▁Stein ▁was ▁a ▁professor ▁at ▁ ▁the ▁É cole ▁pr atique ▁des ▁ha utes ▁études , ▁Ve ▁section ▁( Rel ig ions ▁de ▁la ▁Chine ▁et ▁de ▁la ▁Ha ute ▁As ie ) ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 5 . ▁He ▁was ▁a