Heinrich Julius Klaproth was born in Berlin and studied at the Halle University. Klaproth studied Asiatic languages, and published in 1802 his Asiatisches Magazin (Weimar 1802–1803). He was called to St. Petersburg and given an appointment in the academy there and in 1805 he was a member of Count Golovkin's embassy to China. On his return he was despatched by the academy to the Caucasus on an ethnographical and linguistic exploration (1807–1808), and was afterwards employed for several years in connection with the academy's Oriental publications. In 1812 he moved back to Berlin.
In 1815 he settled in Paris, and in 1816 Humboldt procured for him, from the king of Prussia, the title and salary of Professor of Asiatic languages and literature, with permission to remain in Paris as long as was requisite for the publication of his works He died in Paris on 28 August 1835.