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Who was Heinrich Harrer and how did he influence the young 14th Dalai Lama?
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14th Dalai Lama
Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, 2008.
Heinrich Harrer was an Austrian mountaineer who spent seven years in Tibet during the 1940s. While the 14th Dalai Lama was living in the Potala Palace undergoing a rigorous monastic education, he was largely removed from international affairs.
Harrer served as a significant window into the outside world for the young leader. Through their interactions, Harrer provided the Dalai Lama with knowledge of global events and perspectives beyond the borders of Tibet, supplementing the information the Dalai Lama gathered from magazines and newsreels.1