Franz Michael Zahn

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Franz Michael Zahn (born June 4, 1833 in Moers , † March 5, 1900 in Bremen ) was a German Protestant theologian and inspector of the North German Mission Society .

Live and act

Zahn was the son of the Protestant educator and director of the teachers' college in Moers, Franz Ludwig Zahn (1798–1890). His mother Anna Zahn (née Schlatter) (1800–1853) was the daughter of St. Gallen Pietist Anna Schlatter-Bernet (1773–1826). His brothers were among others Johannes Zahn (classical philologist) and the conservative New Testament scholar Theodor Zahn .

After attending the humanistic grammar school in Erlangen , Zahn studied theology in Halle and Erlangen, where he was particularly influenced by Johann Christian Konrad von Hofmann . Briefly working at his father's seminary, he initially worked as an assistant preacher in Barmen for three years . On February 26, 1862, he was the first inspector to take over the management of the North German Mission Society (founded in 1836), which he held until the end of his life.

He was married to the Irish Anna Crooks (1837-1927 from Sligo ) and had a daughter with her.

Not so much through organizational busyness than through his mission theology and his meticulous diligence, he contributed to the fact that the foundation for a Protestant church among the Ewe people was laid in their field of work in West Africa (Ghana and Togo) . As part of Gustav Warneck's circle , Zahn also had a lasting impact on German missionary life. Together with Friedrich Fabri, he initiated the “Continental Missions Conference” in Bremen in 1866 and worked for many years in the “Allgemeine Missions-Zeitschrift” founded by Warneck in 1874, which he co-edited for a time. He also appeared as a speaker, especially at the “Saxon Provincial Missions Conferences” (founded in 1878). As a leading head of the evangelical missionary movement, which (like the Catholic mission) sanctioned imperialism and followed the colonial powers into the overseas " protected areas ", he distinguished himself through critical remarks about the colonial grievances. So he denounced the overseas liquor trade and sparked a violent journalistic dispute with the Hamburg merchant and Reichstag representative Adolph Woermann (since 1885), which led to a petition to the Reichstag that was passed by the Continental Mission Conference . As a "party leader" of the so-called positive direction, Zahn also took part in church life in Bremen and defended the "old faith". His contemporaries describe him as a "deeply pious" but at the same time "cosmopolitan" nature (Büttner, 1912, 534).

Zahn does not see the goal of missionary work - like many of his contemporaries - in the founding of Christianized national churches, but in “gathering (ecumenical) religious communities” that grow out of individual conversion and are supposed to “prepare for the coming of the kingdom of God”. Although the mission is charged with promoting the individual people of the young communities, it will only release them into independence when they have "taken deep roots" after a period of getting used to. With the latter, Zahn applies the »supporting corset of European pedagogical leadership« to the congregations (Ustorf, 1989, 295 - see literature) and thus practices - as was largely common in missionary practice of the 19th century - a missionary paternalism .

Works

  • 1865: Anna Schlatter's life and estate, poems and short essays, volume 3 , published by W. Vallett and Comp., Bremen
  • 1865: Some concerns about the mission: Along with bills and overviews of the North German Mission Society for 1864: On behalf of the Committee , J. Frese, Bremen
  • 1867: From the Elbe to the Volta: Six years of missionary work in West Africa , published by W. Vallett and Comp., Bremen
  • 1868: A walk through holy history: 53 reflections on the main lessons of the Filder Bible Calendar , A. Perthes, Gotha
  • 1870: Four free places in the Sclavenlande, six more years of missionary work in West Africa , C. Hilgerloh's printing press, Bremen
  • 1870: The Biblical Story: The Key to Biblical Teaching: A Contribution to Understanding Scripture: Lecture , book printing by C. Hilgerloh, Bremen
  • 1871: The First Gospel: A Contribution to Understanding Scripture: Lecture , Hugo Klein, Bremen
  • 1872: Israel and Egypt , Hugo Klein, Bremen
  • 1873: Samuel the prophet and reformer . Hugo Klein, Bremen
  • 1875: What to think of the mission of the present: Bremer Verein z. Dissemination of Christian writings , JD Noltenius, Bremen
  • 1876: The workers in the vineyards: Sermon , C. Hilgerloh's printing press, Bremen
  • 1883: Judah's restoration after exile: few days in preparation for great ones; Lecture , published by W. Valett & Co., Bremen
  • 1884: Evangelical and Roman Catholic missionary operations: Lecture given at the Halle Mission Conference , C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh
  • 1886: Commerce and Mission - Lecture held in Stettin at the first annual meeting of the Pomeranian Mission Conference, C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh
  • 1886: The West African spirits trade: Reply to the open answer of the Reichstag delegate A. Woermann , C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh
  • 1892: The Protestant Church as a world-conquering power , J. Morgenbesser, Bremen
  • 1894: The Christian and the World , C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh
  • 1900: Written documents: Sermons , J. Morgenbesser, Bremen

swell

  • Werner Raupp (ed.): Mission in source texts. History of the German Evangelical Mission from the Reformation to the World Mission Conference Edinburgh 1910, Erlangen / Bad Liebenzell 1990, pp. 262–265 (North German Mission), 378–386 u. 423-426 (FM Zahn).

literature

  • Werner Ustorf, "Franz Michael Zahn's mission method and the development of church structures in West Africa: (1862-1900); an investigation into the history of missions", Verlag der Evangelisch-Lutherischen Mission, Erlangen, 1989, ISBN 3-87214-307-7 , summary: Namabiana book depot
  • Thorsten Altena, "A bunch of Christians in the middle of the heathen world of the dark continent": Protestant missionaries' understanding of themselves and others in colonial Africa 1884–1918, Waxmann Verlag GmbH, Münster, 2003, ISBN 3-8309-1199-8
  • A. Guthe, "In memory of Franz Michael Zahn, mission inspector in Bremen: Born on June 4th, 1833, died on March 5th, 1900", Bremen, 1900
  • Sena Yawo Akakpo-Numado (Togo), "Education for Girls and Women in the German Africa Colonies (1884-1914) - Inaugural dissertation to obtain the academic degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Bochum, 2005 - Dissertation Sena Yawo Akakpo-Numado ( PDF; 1.1 MB)
  • Werner RauppZahn, Franz Michael. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 14, Bautz, Herzberg 1998, ISBN 3-88309-073-5 , Sp. 313-317.

Individual evidence

  1. Allgemeine Missionszeitschrift - monthly journals for historical and theoretical mission studies, Volume 38 - M. Warneck, Berlin, 1911
  2. Dictionary of African Christian Biography - Werner Ustorf ( Memento of the original from November 22, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.dacb.org
  3. From the diary of Carl Paul (1857 - 1927)
  4. ^ Volume XIV, BBKL, Herzberg, 1998, columns 313–317 Author: Werner Raupp , Verlag Traugott Bautz, ISBN 978-3-88309-073-3

Web links