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    Day6: East Berlin

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    Another big day of research! Good fellowship with my comrades in studying a rich and facinating family history. So much to say but I will just post a bit.
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    Gracious and generous hosts, Helga Ottow and Klause Roemer. It was so rich to talk about so much history with fellow researchers. We have such a common bond in our shared heritage and perspectives. I cannot express enough my joy and delight that the Spirit of God has brought us to such a time as this! There is just too much to share and I am so tired that I am now just posting some of our findings.
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    my great grand parents writing in the guest book of my great great grandparents.

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    Day 5: Morganlaendische Frauen Mission Berlin

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    Today I had to slow down a bit and rested, read, did some writing, and enjoyed the lovely Hotel Morganland on Finkensteinstrasse in south Berlin.
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    I spoke with the current director of the Morgenlandische Frauen Mission and learned that currently the society has only fifteen members. Otherwise this property of the old society, originally intended as housing for returning missionaries, was taken over by the Lutheran church and converted into a hotel since the 1997.. The society continues to meet regularly to discuss missions in the world and support a few causes.

    Originally, however, the society, was a school for training women for the mission field in India, Africa, Indonesia and China. They hosted regular Missionsfests, where people would learn about work being done in other countries. The Frauenmission followed the model of the first European women's society, the London Society for promoting of female education in the East, established in 1834. It sent self-employed unmarried teachers to mission work.

    The German missionary Bernhardt Schmidt, who in 1842 had come from India to Berlin, gave moving mission talks in churches about the unhappy life and death of Indian women and girls (in particular the practice of Sathi, or wife burning at pyre of the dead husband.) This horrified the German audience. Ten women gathered together to find out what could be done, and began the Oriental Woman's Society of Berlin. With the leadership of the wife of the former Minister of Culture,  Frau Eichhorn, the. mission began against all odds. They were breaking from the norms that viewed women as subjects of their husband, meant to stay at home. While at this same time some women were receiving education to be teachers and nurses, the view was that this was only necessary due to decades of war. It was the duty of women to strengthen the German home and homeland, not to go help the heathens abroad. Through the husbands of the founders, the Kaiser provided some initial support and soon various Baronesses found this society as an outlet for their interests in the Orient and religion.
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    As you know I am very fond of trees. It is interesting to note how barren this building was 100 years ago, or even 50 years ago, compared to today.

     I had thought this old building (above) near the old Lichtenfeld station (below) was the location where Doris Hahn had gone in 1906 to enroll her daughter, Guschi, in the school. This is where going to the actual location is helpful. in talking to the director I learned that this old building began to be used in 1920. Earlier they had met in someone's home. So Doris most likely went (see selection from diary below) to west Berlin on Alt Moabit Strasse (top of this post). I will try to go see where it might be later on.
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    For those of you interested in reading further an excerpt from Doris' diary written in 1906, that started me on this journey to learn about the Morgenlandische Frauenmission:

    Feb 4 1906 she writes:
    "A while ago, I went with Guschi to Miss v. Buddenbrock, chair of the Morgenländischen Women’s Association, to inquire about a possibility of Guschi becoming an aspirant in her home and possibly be sent out to India in the fall. We got this idea from Pastor Römer, who informed us that the association would again connect with our mission and also send  teachers to Chota Nagpur, who would be amenable to us. How wonderful it would be if Guschi would get employment with the mission in this way and could later stand on her own two feet! We did not have much hope, to be sure. But the old Baroness was very nice and suggested Guschi should send in her papers so that they could discuss the matter at their next meeting. “Then we will see how this matter will develop.” 

    On February 7:
    Yesterday went with Papa to Miss von Buddenbrock for coffee hour 6-7 pm. Kind and stimulating conversation on all kinds of subjects, personal and wider interests, especially, naturally also, about Guschi’s possible acceptance into the association, etc. In as far as the old Baroness and her co-worker, an elderly single lady who seems to be her right hand, are concerned, nothing is standing in the way. “Your dear child has made a good impression on me”. That was encouraging. Now, we have to wait what the treasurer and the other ladies will say. May the Lord lead it all after his gracious counsel and will!"

    Then again on Feb 21:
    "My main visit however was with Miss Helene v. Stülpnagel, second presiding officer of the Oriental Women’s Association, who will be henceforth Guschi’s superior. Papa had already told us about her, that she was an energetic, thorough and, in the Mission, long admired lady. And I found her just like that. What questions she could ask! And what all did I have to tell her! About each one of our children, and especially about Guschi, about ourselves and our life: she wanted to hear and know everything! Yet not in an unpleasant way. I feel drawn to her, in spite of the great intellectual difference of which I am conscious. Still, we were sympathetic to each other and understood each other."

    And I was able to express with full conviction how thankful we are, that “our child” was allowed to enter such an association that is being led by her and Miss von Buddenbrock. She dismissed me with the wish that this will become a very blessed relationship which we have now begun. May the Lord help with that!"

    ​    ​[I cannot thank my father's cousin Pastor Ilse Nottrott Peetz enough for translating the diary]
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    Day 4: Die Kinder Biene

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    Again today was spent mostly at the Gossner Mission looking through fifty nine years of "Die Kinder Biene Aug del Missionsfelde fur Jung and Alt". This was the mission journal for the German audience describing the life of missionaries and the people they worked for. Many of the articles were written by missionary women. It was a good find but I know I only touched the surface. I would have to study them for many months to get a deeper understanding. Still, with the help of Klaus Roeber I was able to find many good things.

    I also had good discussions of which I have added my thoughts at the end, for those interested in something a little more intellectual
    Meanwhile I'd like to comment on the wonderful union between the old and the new in Berlin. Cobbled streets upon which a modern efficient transit system runs. The buildings where I have spent most of my time these past two days are also an example. Retaining the old exterior, the interior are modern offices. I still could imagine something of the years when my great great grandfather studied in these halls (1865-68).
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    As the complex expanded, I was glad to see that a large old tree was preserved by constructing a curved building around it.
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    And a lovely statue of the Psalmist David sits full of praises to God in its midst. Unfortunately the camera didn't pick up the spider web that weaved threads from David's lip, eye and ear to the harp. As if God added an aproving touch to a well stewarded creation.
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    The discussion earlier circled around a constant tension between the German missionaries of old; between Reformed thinkers (F. Hahn's orientation) who believed in the community life of believers based on the Bible and the guidance of the "Spirit" and the more orthodox Lutheran thinkers (such as Alfred Nottrott) who believed that the role of church centered around Sacred Sacraments (baptism, confirmation, Communion, etc) and Sermons (correct teaching of the Bible). This continues to be a debate in Protestantism throughout the ages. But rarely does a new Christian community have the advantage of having two strong leaders expose them to such complexities of Christianity from the start. In the end the church that grew up in this part of India has the privileged vantage point of having both traditions to rely on as they make their way in their Indian Adivasi context. To try to bring this down to a level that most people can understand, the question at stake is: is church to be run and led by Spirit-led people or do people require leadership vetted by some kind of orthodoxy? The pendulum swings. Without a measured debate, the church can assume too much and become narrowly focused (group think) or relinquish too much power onto leaders, either way the "flock is led astray". This is pretty much the constant flow of Christianity throughout history. Over emphasis on one or the other eventually causes Christianity in any given time and place to implode upon itself. If you don't see it happening, wait a generation. I personally think this is by higher design, because then a regeneration or revival can happen -- after all Chistianity is all about Resurrection. Staunch traditions somehow linger on, and over 2000+ years there are multiple traditions in play. But all of these traditions originally emerged as reformations, revivals, refreshing, some kind of reframing of what was before. And even some of the staunch old traditions, like the old buildings or the old tree, have been remodeled and made new again.
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    Day 3: Berlin, Gossner Mission On Geogenkirchstrass

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    I don't know how, but after a day that began at 2:30 this morning, I am still going after 16 hours. After I give a brief post about the day and finish my dinner, I'm going to crash for 12 hours!

    I was sorry to leave London. I should have spent more time there. But I do not like their airports! A lot of hearding people like cattle. People take it in stride. I haven't yet seen, what I call, "ugly American"-like behavior, demanding rights. I did see an African just now accusing the hotel clerk about something. I have no idea if it was justified, mostly because I couldn't understand the German word's being exchanged. But otherwise European residents are pretty laid back.

    Once in Berlin, after finally getting on the right train in the right direction, I found Alexanderplatz, and figured out what and where the Reisenzeitum was. There I met Klaus Rodger and Helga Ottow, who took me on a tram to the Gossner Mission that still is in the red building that use to be the Gossner Mission school. We were also joined by Yeah Chandra from Georgetown University, a scholar studying the impact of Christianity on the Adivasi. India's inigenous people). The rest of the day we talked over lunch and coffee about the topic, and specifically about those early Gossner Missionaries Ferdinand Hahn, Alfred Nottrot, and others. Periodically we were joined by others of the Gossner Mission. Mostly we spoke in German, but I was surprised how much I understood when they spoke in German.

    I realised with all the talking -- which is so much fun when you find people exited about a common interest few others known of -- I had not taken any pictures..

    This old bench has an interesting story. no, it is not a park bench. it is a thrown. The story is told that it was Birsa Oraon's thrown that he made. when he set himself up as the King, Messiah, of the Oraon people in 1877 in Lohardaga. He heard of Jesus' heavenly thrown, so he built this bench to set himself above others that they should give him homage. After all, the unseen Jesus with his unseen thrown had emphasised the  failed to organise the people
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    Day 2: London

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    Feel like singing: Who will buy this wonderful morning? From the musical Oliver! I saw a street that looked just like the one from the movie. But much of Kensington looks like this. I love London and so sorry I didn't try to stay longer.

    I am not really seeing it this time. I spent most of it in the archives of the Leprosy Mission that had supported both the work of our ancestors in Lohardaga and Purulia but also in Chandkuri. What a gold mind.  if I get a chance later I will add more pictures and text
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    1904

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    Day 1: Chicago

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    Drawing by Ludwig Nottrott. He captured iconic scenes all over Germany in 19th century

    My great-niece, Rae, asked if I was going to post my travels on my blog. So I will try.

    This journey to Germany (and London) is a continuation of my heritage travels. Now I travel to the land of our family's origin. For two weeks I will see the birthplace, homes, and schools of the previous generations who had been in Germany prior to World War I.
    I will also meet some distant cousins. It would be impossible to see every place that our family has some connection with. Just focusing on Doris and Ferdinand Hahn's family is a lot. As cousin Wolfram said, they really traveled around a lot; and as cousin Sharon has documented, this particular family was scattered around the world.

    I begin in Chicago Ohare. You already feel like you've arrived in another country. Airport service workers represent every American immigrant group. Various languages are heard spoken. I missed taking a great picture: two Franciscan monks in brown robes and sandals following behind a gaggle of stewardesses in hot red miniskirts.
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