Johannes Zimmermann (missionary)

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Johannes Zimmermann (born March 2, 1825 in Gerlingen ( Württemberg ); † December 13, 1876 ibid) was a German Protestant missionary , linguist and Bible translator in Ghana .

Life

Zimmermann grew up in a pietistic family. He completed his training at the Basel Mission House and in 1850, at the age of 25, went to the African Gold Coast in the service of the Basel Mission . There, in what is now Ghana, he spent 26 years, although he soon fell ill with a dangerous tropical disease. A traditional African healer helped him. He married the African, divorced teacher Catherine Mulgrave (1827-1891) in 1851 , although this was contrary to an ordinance of the Mission Committee in Basel. He mainly worked in Kroboland , where he learned the Ga language , developed a new script with grammar and spelling and translated the Bible and a hymn book consisting of 500 songs into this written language.

Zimmermann had also designed adapted clothing for missionaries, which consisted of European and African elements, because he wanted to appreciate the local culture (“to be an African to the Africans”). He also provided extensive development aid . He took care of the extraction of mineral resources , modernized agriculture and also helped to improve the living conditions of the African population through increased exports of goods.

From 1872 the Zimmermann family stayed in Gerlingen several times. It was only after her husband's death in 1876 that his widow returned to Africa for good. As it is said, she “found no contact with the Gerlingers”.

Commemoration

In Gerlingen a memorial stone was erected for Zimmermann as early as 1873, the inscription of which read: “Almighty, immortal God! Nothing can happen without you, your grace makes us start anew every day. Help that we do not repay like with like. You are the source of everything, we cannot boast. We are connected in life and death in you. In death we are all the same. The grass withers, the flower wilts, but the word of God remains forever! ”An addendum was made after his death:“ Johannes Zimmermann from Gerlingen, missionary, linguist, friend of Africa, 1850–1876 Odumase Abokobi Akropong Ghana. ”

During the visit of a clergyman from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana in 1970, the city became aware of their almost forgotten - in Ghana, however, highly respected - son. Since then, there have been several mutual visits between representatives of the city and West African dignitaries.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Dagmar Konrad: Mission Brides: Pietists of the 19th Century in the Basler Mission , Münster 2001; Pages 247-249
  2. ↑ Quoted from Kathrin Roller: Gerlingen - A small Swabian town as an intercultural place of remembrance . In: Ulrich van der Heyden , Joachim Zeller (Ed.): Colonialism in this country - A search for traces in Germany. Sutton Verlag, Erfurt 2007, ISBN 978-3-86680-269-8 , p. 231.
  3. ↑ Quotation from Roller 2007, p. 232.
  4. ↑ Basel Mission 21 (editor), Hannes Liechti, Jürg Liechti-Möri, Detlef Lienau, Helen Duhm and Christian Weber: Mission Hope. Workbook teaching 2015. pp. 4–15.
  5. ^ Roller 2007, pp. 232f.
personal data
SURNAME Zimmermann, Johannes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German evangelical missionary, linguist and Bible translator in Ghana
DATE OF BIRTH March 2, 1825
PLACE OF BIRTH Gerlingen
DATE OF DEATH December 13, 1876
Place of death Gerlingen , Germany