{"id":2107,"date":"2020-11-03T11:43:37","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T10:43:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.projekt-mida.de\/?post_type=reflexicon&p=2107"},"modified":"2022-12-08T16:09:35","modified_gmt":"2022-12-08T15:09:35","slug":"the-mission-archives-in-the-archives-of-the-francke-foundations-in-halle","status":"publish","type":"reflexicon","link":"https:\/\/www.projekt-mida.de\/en\/reflexicon\/the-mission-archives-in-the-archives-of-the-francke-foundations-in-halle\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cMission Archives\u201d in the Archives of the Francke Foundations in Halle"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Brigitte Kloster\u00adberg
<\/strong>Pub\u00adlished in 2020<\/strong>
DOI<\/span> 10.25360\/01\u20132022-00031<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image: Por\u00adtrait of August Her\u00admann Francke<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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This is a trans\u00adlat\u00aded ver\u00adsion of the 2019 MIDA<\/span> Archival Reflex\u00adi\u00adcon entry \u201cDas \u201eMis\u00adsion\u00adsarchiv\u201c im Archiv der Franck\u00adeschen Stiftun\u00adgen zu Halle<\/a>\u201d. The text was trans\u00adlat\u00aded by Rekha Rajan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table of Con\u00adtents
<\/strong>His\u00adtor\u00adi\u00adcal Back\u00adground<\/a> | The Cat\u00ada\u00adlogu\u00ading of Sources<\/a> | Find\u00ading Aids and Online Data\u00adbas\u00ades<\/a> | Sec\u00adondary Sources on the Mis\u00adsion Archives and its Cat\u00ada\u00adlogu\u00ading<\/a> | Anno\u00adtat\u00aded Pri\u00adma\u00adry Sources<\/a>  |   Sec\u00adondary Lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>Historical Background<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After a ship voy\u00adage last\u00ading more than six months, the two the\u00adolo\u00adgians Bartholom\u00e4us Ziegen\u00adbalg (1682\u20131719) and Hein\u00adrich Pl\u00fctschau (1677\u20131747) arrived in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar (today: Tha\u00adrangam\u00adba\u00addi), the main bas\u00adtion of the Dan\u00adish colonies in South\u00adeast India on 6 June, 1706. Their arrival marked the begin\u00adning of an inter\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal dia\u00adlogue that car\u00adried on into the nine\u00adteenth cen\u00adtu\u00adry between the Euro\u00adpean rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives of the first Protes\u00adtant mis\u00adsion in Copen\u00adhagen, Halle and Lon\u00addon and the peo\u00adple liv\u00ading in the South Indi\u00adan king\u00addom of Tan\u00adjore. The mis\u00adsion under\u00adtak\u00ading was fund\u00aded by the Dan\u00adish Crown, but it received guid\u00adance and sup\u00adport from the edu\u00adca\u00adtion\u00adal and social insti\u00adtu\u00adtions in Halle named after the pas\u00adtor and pro\u00adfes\u00adsor of the\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy, August Her\u00admann Francke (1663\u20131727), who had estab\u00adlished them. The mis\u00adsion was lat\u00ader also sup\u00adport\u00aded by the Soci\u00adety for Pro\u00admot\u00ading Chris\u00adt\u00adian Knowl\u00adedge (SPCK<\/span>) in Lon\u00addon. Thus, the mis\u00adsion in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar is called the Dan\u00adish-Halle mis\u00adsion or the Dan\u00adish-Eng\u00adlish-Halle mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ziegen\u00adbalg and Pl\u00fctschau had stud\u00adied in Halle where they encoun\u00adtered the ideas of Pietism, the first reform move\u00adment in the Protes\u00adtant Church since the Ref\u00ador\u00adma\u00adtion. August Her\u00admann Francke envi\u00adsioned the world\u00adwide prop\u00ada\u00adga\u00adtion of Halle Pietism. The orphan\u00adage and the schools in Glaucha at the gates of the city of Halle were to become the foun\u00adda\u00adtion and the point of depar\u00adture for a uni\u00adver\u00adsal, reli\u00adgion-based improve\u00adment of all estates both with\u00adin and out\u00adside Ger\u00admany. The mis\u00adsion in India should be placed in this context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Around 15,000 peo\u00adple lived in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar and its envi\u00adrons con\u00adsist\u00ading of Hin\u00addus, Mus\u00adlims, Indi\u00adan Catholic Chris\u00adtians as well as Euro\u00adpeans work\u00ading for the East India Com\u00adpa\u00adny. After ini\u00adtial con\u00adflicts with the East India Com\u00adpa\u00adny, which even led to Ziegen\u00adbalg being impris\u00adoned for four months, the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies were able to work large\u00adly with\u00adout dis\u00adrup\u00adtion and grad\u00adu\u00adal\u00adly began to extend their radius from Tran\u00adque\u00adbar, the cen\u00adtre of the mis\u00adsion, to the sur\u00adround\u00ading regions. Mis\u00adsion dis\u00adtricts even came up in Eng\u00adlish ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry after the mis\u00adsion\u00adary Ben\u00adjamin Schultze (1689\u20131760) left Tran\u00adque\u00adbar in 1726 due to dif\u00adfer\u00adences with his col\u00adleagues and found\u00aded a Protes\u00adtant mis\u00adsion in Madras (present day: Chen\u00adnai). This sta\u00adtion was then financed by the SPCK<\/span> with mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies from Halle. In the fol\u00adlow\u00ading years, oth\u00ader mis\u00adsion sta\u00adtions were estab\u00adlished on Eng\u00adlish ter\u00adri\u00adto\u00adry, among oth\u00aders in Cud\u00addalore (1730), Than\u00adjavur (1762), Tiruchi\u00adra\u00adpal\u00adli (1762), Palamkodtei (1785), which meant that the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies trav\u00adelled extensively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies were helped in their work by being part of a wide cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addence-net\u00adwork which not only made the local infra\u00adstruc\u00adture acces\u00adsi\u00adble to them, but also pro\u00admot\u00aded exchange with Europe. Thus, they estab\u00adlished con\u00adtact with Protes\u00adtant preach\u00aders in all Euro\u00adpean colonies between Cochin and Batavia as well as at the Cape of Good Hope, with sci\u00aden\u00adtists in Europe and, nat\u00adu\u00adral\u00adly, with August Her\u00admann Francke, his co-work\u00aders and suc\u00adces\u00adsors. Local\u00adly, they sought con\u00adtact through cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addence with rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives of the British and Dutch East India Com\u00adpa\u00adnies, with Catholic mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies in South India and, pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly, with Indi\u00adans them\u00adselves, includ\u00ading Hin\u00addus from dif\u00adfer\u00adent castes, Mus\u00adlims, lawyers, mer\u00adchants, and even Indi\u00adan princes. One of the most inter\u00adest\u00ading sources on the life and thought of Tamil\u00adians at the begin\u00adning of the eigh\u00adteenth cen\u00adtu\u00adry is the col\u00adlec\u00adtion titled Mal\u00adabar\u00adian Cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addence<\/em> (Mal\u00adabarische Cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addenz<\/em>), a cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addence car\u00adried out by the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies Bartholom\u00e4us Ziegen\u00adbalg and Johann Ernst Gr\u00fcndler (1677\u20131720) between 1712 and 1714 with Indi\u00adans. The let\u00adters were sent by the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies to Halle where they were edit\u00aded and pub\u00adlished in the peri\u00adod\u00adi\u00adcal that appeared reg\u00adu\u00adlar\u00adly since 1710: Der K\u00f6nigl. <\/em>D\u00e4nis\u00adchen Mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adien aus Ost-Indi\u00aden einge\u00adsandter Aus\u00adf\u00fchrlichen Bericht\u00aden<\/em>, the so-called Halle Reports, pub\u00adlished by the Orphan House. These let\u00adters were thus made avail\u00adable to an inter\u00adest\u00aded read\u00ader\u00adship in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Halle Reports con\u00adtain diaries, let\u00adters, trav\u00adel diaries, trea\u00adtis\u00ades, sta\u00adtis\u00adti\u00adcal accounts and obit\u00adu\u00adar\u00adies, and were there\u00adfore, not only the most impor\u00adtant bear\u00aders of infor\u00adma\u00adtion media about the Dan\u00adish-Halle mis\u00adsion, but also the most effec\u00adtive pro\u00adpa\u00adgan\u00adda tool to raise dona\u00adtions and to build up a net\u00adwork of spon\u00adsors. The list of sub\u00adscribers went far beyond Protes\u00adtant Ger\u00admany, extend\u00ading to Rus\u00adsia, Fin\u00adland, Livo\u00adnia, North Bohemia, Den\u00admark, the Nether\u00adlands, Eng\u00adland, Italy and Aus\u00adtria. The edi\u00adtors select\u00aded mate\u00adr\u00adi\u00adal from the doc\u00adu\u00adments sent by the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies and part\u00adly cen\u00adsored the sources in keep\u00ading with the inten\u00adtions of the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies, lan\u00adguage was the most impor\u00adtant instru\u00adment to spread the word of God in the local lan\u00adguage and to this end they trans\u00adlat\u00aded the Bible and devo\u00adtion\u00adal Pietist lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture. They main\u00adly learnt Tamil, but also Tel\u00adugu and Hin\u00addus\u00adtani, as well as Por\u00adtuguese which was impor\u00adtant because of the pres\u00adence of Euro\u00adpeans and their descen\u00addants. As ear\u00adly as 1715, Bartholom\u00e4us Ziegen\u00adbalg pub\u00adlished the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment in Tamil, which was print\u00aded in the mis\u00adsion print\u00ading press in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar. Based on their study of the\u00adol\u00ado\u00adgy, for which they had learned many lan\u00adguages, the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies under\u00adtook pio\u00adneer\u00ading research in com\u00adpar\u00ada\u00adtive lin\u00adguis\u00adtics. This includes Ziegenbalg\u2019s Gram\u00admat\u00adi\u00adca Damuli\u00adca<\/em> (Halle 1716), Schultze\u2019s Gram\u00admat\u00adi\u00adca Hin\u00addostan\u00adi\u00adca<\/em> (Halle 1745) and Gram\u00admat\u00adi\u00adca Tel\u00aduguica<\/em> (Madras 1728), or the Tamil-Eng\u00adlish dic\u00adtio\u00adnary<\/em> by Johann Philipp Fabri\u00adcius (1711\u20131791). The print\u00ading press in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly pro\u00adduced trans\u00adla\u00adtions of the Bible and Protes\u00adtant devo\u00adtion\u00adal lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture, but also gram\u00admars, dic\u00adtio\u00adnar\u00adies, school\u00adbooks, cal\u00aden\u00addars and works com\u00admis\u00adsioned by the Dan\u00adish and Eng\u00adlish colo\u00adnial admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtions. Preach\u00aders dis\u00adtrib\u00aduted many of the short\u00ader works free of cost to the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addi\u00adtion to this, the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies under\u00adtook the edu\u00adca\u00adtion of the youth. Already in 1707, the first school was estab\u00adlished in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar and in the same year a girls\u2019 school was set up, which was prob\u00ada\u00adbly the first school for girls in India. The train\u00ading of cat\u00ade\u00adchists aimed at teach\u00ading local adults, and they were induct\u00aded direct\u00adly into the ser\u00advice of the mis\u00adsion as so-called \u201cnation\u00adal work\u00aders\u201d. In 1733, the first Indi\u00adan who had been bap\u00adtized by Ziegen\u00adbalg in 1718, was ordained and giv\u00aden the name Aaron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sev\u00ader\u00adal mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies saw them\u00adselves not only as the\u00adolo\u00adgians but also as scholars\/scientists, and they sent their writ\u00adten obser\u00adva\u00adtions on cul\u00adture and soci\u00adety, on fau\u00adna and flo\u00adra, on mete\u00ado\u00adrol\u00ado\u00adgy and med\u00adi\u00adcine, but also their pre\u00adserved nat\u00adur\u00adal his\u00adto\u00adry spec\u00adi\u00admens or cult objects to Halle, where they can still be admired in the Cab\u00adi\u00adnet of Arte\u00adfacts and Nat\u00adur\u00adal Curiosi\u00adties. Some mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies became mem\u00adbers of inter\u00adna\u00adtion\u00adal sci\u00aden\u00adtif\u00adic soci\u00adeties, cor\u00adre\u00adspond\u00ading with acad\u00ade\u00admy mem\u00adbers and schol\u00adars all over Europe. Sev\u00ader\u00adal obser\u00adva\u00adtions and descrip\u00adtions were pub\u00adlished in the Halle Reports, but also in sci\u00aden\u00adtif\u00adic peri\u00adod\u00adi\u00adcals and jour\u00adnals, and all this con\u00adtributed to the knowl\u00adedge of India in Europe. In due course of time Halle lost its role as the spir\u00adi\u00adtu\u00adal cen\u00adtre of the mis\u00adsion. In 1837, the Luther\u00adan Mis\u00adsion Soci\u00adety of Dres\u00adden took over the mis\u00adsion sta\u00adtion in Tran\u00adque\u00adbar and then hand\u00aded it over in 1848 to the Leipzig Mis\u00adsion Soci\u00adety. Today, the Evan\u00adgel\u00adi\u00adcal-Luther\u00adan Chris\u00adtians of Tamil Nadu are uni\u00adfied main\u00adly in the Tamil Evan\u00adgel\u00adi\u00adcal Luther\u00adan Church (TELC<\/span>), which was estab\u00adlished in 1919.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The Cataloguing of Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The sources for the Dan\u00adish-Halle mis\u00adsion are pri\u00admar\u00adi\u00adly kept in the archives of the Francke Foun\u00adda\u00adtions. As ear\u00adly as the eigh\u00adteenth cen\u00adtu\u00adry, a sep\u00ada\u00adrate mis\u00adsion archive was set up, which was admin\u00adis\u00adtered by the East India Mis\u00adsion Insti\u00adtute locat\u00aded on the premis\u00ades of the Francke Foun\u00adda\u00adtions. Today it is a part of the archives of the Francke Foun\u00adda\u00adtions and is divid\u00aded into an India and an Amer\u00adi\u00adca sec\u00adtion. The term \u201cmis\u00adsion archive\u201d, how\u00adev\u00ader, has per\u00adsist\u00aded and become part of the lit\u00ader\u00ada\u00adture. Until the begin\u00adning of the 1990s, the man\u00adu\u00adscripts were pre\u00adserved in chests spe\u00adcial\u00adly made for them. Today they are kept in a tem\u00adper\u00ada\u00adture-con\u00adtrolled room in the August Her\u00admann Francke Study Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The old\u00adest cat\u00ada\u00adlogue of the hold\u00adings is from 1828 and it was used for the first time in the sec\u00adond half of the nine\u00adteenth cen\u00adtu\u00adry by Wil\u00adhelm Ger\u00admann (1840\u20131902), who analysed the cor\u00adre\u00adspon\u00addence of the mis\u00adsion\u00adar\u00adies and of the mis\u00adsion direc\u00adtors for his work on the Tran\u00adque\u00adbar mis\u00adsion. In the fol\u00adlow\u00ading years, the mis\u00adsion archive was con\u00adstant\u00adly expand\u00aded; new archival doc\u00adu\u00adments became part of the hold\u00adings or were relo\u00adcat\u00aded from oth\u00ader sec\u00adtions of the archives. In the 1950s, the hold\u00adings were again cat\u00ada\u00adlogued in a find\u00ading aids book and a card index. The entire hold\u00adings were re-doc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded with con\u00adtent sum\u00admaries and stan\u00addard\u00adized key\u00adwords from 2003 to 2005 with\u00adin the frame\u00adwork of a cat\u00ada\u00adlogu\u00ading project fund\u00aded by the Ger\u00adman Research Coun\u00adcil (DFG<\/span>), which is avail\u00adable on the web\u00adsite of the Study Cen\u00adtre. An Eng\u00adlish ver\u00adsion of the data\u00adbase can also be found there. The lat\u00adest addi\u00adtion to the archives of the Francke Foun\u00adda\u00adtions took place in April 2006, when the archive of the Leipzig Mis\u00adsion was hand\u00aded over as a depos\u00adi\u00adto\u00adry. This con\u00adtains the for\u00admer Tran\u00adque\u00adbar archive which was sent from India to Ger\u00admany at the end of the nine\u00adteenth cen\u00adtu\u00adry. These archival mate\u00adri\u00adals have also been cat\u00ada\u00adlogued in the archival data\u00adbase of the Study Cen\u00adtre. Addi\u00adtion\u00adal\u00adly, all diaries and trav\u00adel diaries from the mis\u00adsion archives as well as the pub\u00adlished Halle Reports<\/em> are avail\u00adable in the dig\u00adi\u00adtal col\u00adlec\u00adtions of the Study Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The archival doc\u00adu\u00adments in the India sec\u00adtion of the mis\u00adsion archives of the Francke Foun\u00adda\u00adtions have not been filed accord\u00ading to a stan\u00addard prin\u00adci\u00adple of clas\u00adsi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion. Instead, they were put togeth\u00ader into groups of the hold\u00adings part\u00adly accord\u00ading to chronol\u00ado\u00adgy and part\u00adly based on con\u00adtent. The mis\u00adsion archive (India) con\u00adsists of 33,178 indi\u00advid\u00adual manuscripts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These include mainly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n