Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach

The original vision of the founder of the Hermannsburg mission, Pastor Ludwig Harms (1808–1865) was deeply rooted in the period of romantic revival in Germany in the early 19th century. Whole congregations of missionaries and colonists should be sent overseas together. Although critical of coloniali...

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Main Author: Jobst Reller
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Karolinum Press 2025-04-01
Series:Communio Viatorum
Online Access:http://www.karolinum.cz/doi/10.14712/30296374.2025.6
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author Jobst Reller
author_facet Jobst Reller
author_sort Jobst Reller
collection DOAJ
description The original vision of the founder of the Hermannsburg mission, Pastor Ludwig Harms (1808–1865) was deeply rooted in the period of romantic revival in Germany in the early 19th century. Whole congregations of missionaries and colonists should be sent overseas together. Although critical of colonialism, the mission and its settlers became later part of a colonial and even racist society in South Africa. Did the vision influence the social concept six generations later in the former mission field? Did it slow down the process of indigenization, lock up in racist concepts like “apartheid”? The essay provides many hints in that direction and exposes a specific variant of the interaction of migration, colonialism and mission.
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spelling doaj-art-3e9e3a45085c4cb7bf78829eeb7728012025-08-20T03:14:53ZdeuKarolinum PressCommunio Viatorum0010-37133029-63742025-04-0166328529810.14712/30296374.2025.6Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic ApproachJobst RellerThe original vision of the founder of the Hermannsburg mission, Pastor Ludwig Harms (1808–1865) was deeply rooted in the period of romantic revival in Germany in the early 19th century. Whole congregations of missionaries and colonists should be sent overseas together. Although critical of colonialism, the mission and its settlers became later part of a colonial and even racist society in South Africa. Did the vision influence the social concept six generations later in the former mission field? Did it slow down the process of indigenization, lock up in racist concepts like “apartheid”? The essay provides many hints in that direction and exposes a specific variant of the interaction of migration, colonialism and mission.http://www.karolinum.cz/doi/10.14712/30296374.2025.6
spellingShingle Jobst Reller
Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach
Communio Viatorum
title Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach
title_full Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach
title_fullStr Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach
title_full_unstemmed Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach
title_short Mission and Colonialism: Ludwig Harms’ and the Hermannsburg Mission’s Romantic Approach
title_sort mission and colonialism ludwig harms and the hermannsburg mission s romantic approach
url http://www.karolinum.cz/doi/10.14712/30296374.2025.6
work_keys_str_mv AT jobstreller missionandcolonialismludwigharmsandthehermannsburgmissionsromanticapproach