Johann Ludwig Krapf (11 January 1810 – 26 November 1881) was a German

missionary A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...

in East Africa, as well as an explorer,

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

, and traveler. Krapf played an important role in exploring East Africa with

Johannes Rebmann Johannes Rebmann (January 16, 1820 – October 4, 1876) was a German missionary, linguist, and explorer credited with feats including being the first European, along with his colleague Johann Ludwig Krapf, to enter Africa from the Indian Ocean coa ...

. They were the first Europeans to see Mount Kenya with the help of Akamba who dwelled at its slopes and

Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and a ...

. Ludwig Krapf visited Ukambani, the homeland of the

Kamba people The Kamba or Akamba (sometimes called Wakamba) people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in the area of Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and north to Embu, in the southern part of the former Eastern Province. This land i ...

, in 1849 and again in 1850. He successfully translated the new testament to the

Kamba language Kamba, or Kikamba, is a Bantu language spoken by millions of Kamba people, primarily in Kenya, as well as thousands of people in Uganda, Tanzania, and elsewhere. In Kenya, Kamba is generally spoken in four counties: Machakos, Kitui, Makueni, ...

. Krapf also played a key role in exploring the East African coastline, especially in Mombasa.

Early life

Krapf was born into a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

family of farmers in southwest Germany. From his school days onward he developed his gift for

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...

s. He initially studied

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, French and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

. More languages were to follow throughout his life. After finishing school he joined the

Basel Mission The Basel Mission was a Christian missionary society based in Switzerland. It was active from 1815 to 2001, when it transferred the operative work to , the successor organization of ''Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione'' (KEM), found ...

Seminary at age 17 but discontinued his studies as he had doubts about his missionary vocation. He read theology at

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-W� ...

and graduated in 1834. While working as an assistant village pastor, he met a Basel missionary,

Peter Fjellstedt Peter Fjellstedt (17 September 1802 – 4 January 1881) was a Swedish '' Nyevangelist'' missionary and preacher who founded the Fjellstedt School and Evangeliska Fosterlands-Stiftelsen. Biography Upbringing Fjellstedt was born to carpenter ...

, who encouraged him to resume his missionary vocation.

Ethiopia

In 1836 he was invited by the Anglican

Church Missionary Society The Church Mission Society (CMS), formerly known as the Church Missionary Society, is a British mission society working with the Christians around the world. Founded in 1799, CMS has attracted over nine thousand men and women to serve as mission ...

(CMS) to join their work in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. Basel Mission seconded him to the Anglicans and from 1837 to 1842 he worked in this ancient Christian land. He prepared himself by learning ancient Ge'ez and the Amharic language of the

highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

. Landing at

Tadjura Tadjoura ( aa, Tagórri; ar, تاجوراء ''Tağūrah''; so, Tajuura) is one of the oldest towns in Djibouti and the capital of the Tadjourah Region. The town evolved into an early Islamic center with the arrival of Muslims shortly after th ...

, Krapf followed the trade route to Shewa, where he presented himself to its ruler,

Meridazmach Until the end of the Ethiopian monarchy in 1974, there were two categories of nobility in Ethiopia and Eritrea. The Mesafint ( gez, መሳፍንት , modern , singular መስፍን , modern , "prince"), the hereditary nobility, formed the upper ...

Sahle Selassie Sahle Selassie ( Amharic: ሣህለ ሥላሴ, 1795 – 22 October 1847) was a ruler and later King of Shewa from 1813 to 1847. An important Amhara noble of Ethiopia, he was a younger son of Wossen Seged. Sahle Selassie was the father of nume ...

, and later accompanied the Meridazmach on a military campaign in southern Shewa. Krapf's

pietist Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life, including a social concern for ...

background did not help him much to understand and appreciate traditional

Ethiopian Ethiopians are the native inhabitants of Ethiopia, as well as the global diaspora of Ethiopia. Ethiopians constitute several component ethnic groups, many of which are closely related to ethnic groups in neighboring Eritrea and other parts of ...

Christianity, especially their emphasis on saints, liturgy and use of Ge'ez, a language no longer spoken. When he departed Shewa in 1842, he found his way to

Gondar Gondar, also spelled Gonder (Amharic: ጎንደር, ''Gonder'' or ''Gondär''; formerly , ''Gʷandar'' or ''Gʷender''), is a city and woreda in Ethiopia. Located in the North Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Gondar is north of Lake Tana on t ...

blocked by the aftermath of the Battle of Debre Tabor, retraced his steps to the court of Adara Bille, a chieftain of the

Wollo Oromo Wollo ( Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as Bete Amhara and had Amhara kings. Bete Amhara had ...

who then robbed him. Krapf managed to effect his escape with his servants, and made his way to Massawa supported by the reluctant charity of the local inhabitants. Thus he centered his interest on the Oromo people of southern Ethiopia, in his time known as the Galla, who then were largely believers in a traditional religion. He learned their language and started translating parts of the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

into it. While 1842 saw Krapf receive a doctorate from University of Tübingen for his research into the Ethiopian languages, it also witnessed the expulsion of all Western missionaries from Ethiopia, which ended his work there. In association with his colleague,

Carl Wilhelm Isenberg Karl Wilhelm Isenberg (Barmen, September 5, 1806Stuttgart, October 10, 1864), spelt or known by names Carl Wilhelm Isenberg or Charles William Isenberg or C. W. Isenberg or Carl W. Isenberg or Charles Isenberg, was a German Church Missionary Society ...

, he published a memoir of his time in Ethiopia, '' Journals of Isenberg and Krapf'' in 1843. He revised

Abu Rumi Abu Rumi (about 1750 - 1819) is the name recorded as being the translator for the first complete Bible in Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia. Previously, only partial Amharic translations existed, and the Ethiopian Bible existed only in Ge ...

Bible translations into Amharic Although Christianity became the state religion of Ethiopia in the 4th century, and the Bible was first translated into Ge'ez at about that time, only in the last two centuries have there appeared translations of the Bible into Amharic. Abu Rumi ...

for BFBS.

Kenya

Krapf spent some time in

Alexandria, Egypt Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

, where he married. From there he set off for East Africa hoping to reach the Oromo from what is now the

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

n coast. Most of the East African coastline was then part of the

Zanzibar Zanzibar (; ; ) is an insular semi-autonomous province which united with Tanganyika in 1964 to form the United Republic of Tanzania. It is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of the mainland, and consists of many small islan ...

sultanate. Sultan

Sayyid Said Sayyid Saïd bin Sultan al-Busaidi ( ar, سعيد بن سلطان, , sw, Saïd bin Sultani) (5 June 1791 – 19 October 1856), was Sultan of Muscat and Oman, the fifth ruler of the Busaid dynasty from 1804 to 4 June 1856. His rule commenced fol ...

gave him a permit to start a missionary station at the coastal city of

Mombasa Mombasa ( ; ) is a coastal city in southeastern Kenya along the Indian Ocean. It was the first capital of the British East Africa, before Nairobi was elevated to capital city status. It now serves as the capital of Mombasa County. The town is ...

. Krapf started again by learning the languages of the local Mijikenda people and also Swahili which is an East African lingua franca language of communication. Soon after arrival in Mombasa his wife and young daughter suffered and died from

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

. Krapf moved to the higher grounds of Rabai on the coastal hills and started his station

New Rabai New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

(Rabai Mpya). Here he wrote the first dictionary and grammar of the Swahili language. He also started studying other African languages, drafting dictionaries and translating sections of the Bible. Working with a Muslim judge named Ali bin Modehin, he translated Genesis. He went on to translate the New Testament, as well as the Book of Common Prayer. However, most of this was unpublished, though it was later used in revising a translation in a more southern version of Swahili. In 1846 he was joined by

, another southwest German Lutheran who was in the service of the CMS. Krapf and Rebmann set off to explore the interior of East Africa and they were the first Europeans to see the snowcapped mountains of

and Mount Kenya. They sent reports about them to Europe which were ridiculed by the experts. Krapf's deteriorating health forced him to return to Germany in 1853. He brought with him several old Swahili manuscripts, including copies of the '' Book of the Battle of Tambuka'', the earliest Swahili manuscript. In Korntal he continued his linguistic studies and advisory work for the Christian missions. Albert S Gérard, ''Contexts of African Literature'', page 90.

Krapf's legacy

* The

Anglican Church of Kenya The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) is a province of the Anglican Communion, and it is composed by 41 dioceses. The current Primate and Archbishop of Kenya is Jackson Ole Sapit. The Anglican Church of Kenya claims 5 million total members. Accordi ...

counts him as its founding father. * Linguists have been drawing on his works as he studied languages as diverse as Ge'ez, Amharic, Oromo, Swahili,

Kamba Kamba may refer to: *Kamba people The Kamba or Akamba (sometimes called Wakamba) people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in the area of Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and north to Embu, in the southern part of the f ...

, Mijikenda and

Maasai language Maasai (previously spelled ''Masai'') or Maa (; autonym: ''ɔl Maa'') is an Eastern Nilotic language spoken in Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania by the Maasai people, numbering about 800,000. It is closely related to the other Maa varieti ...

. * His house at New Rabai is now part of Rabai Museum, one of the

National Museums of Kenya The National Museums of Kenya (NMK) is a state corporation that manages museums, sites and monuments in Kenya. It carries out heritage research, and has expertise in subjects ranging from palaeontology, archeology, ethnography and biodiversit ...

. The building of the German Embassy at

Nairobi Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...

is called "Ludwig-Krapf-House". * In his home town of Tübingen-Derendingen there is an elementary school that bears his name.

Bibliography (selection)

• Vocabulary of the Galla Language, London 1842. • Vocabulary of six East African languages. Kiswahili, Kinika, Kikamba, Kipokomo, Kihiau, Kigalla, Tübingen 1850. • Outline of the elements of the Kisuaheli Language, with special reference to the Kinika Dialect, Tübingen 1850. • Reisen in Ostafrika, ausgeführt in den Jahren 1837 - 1855. Unveränderter Nachdruck der Ausgabe Stuttgart, Stroh 1858. Mit einer Einführung hrsg. von Werner Raupp, Münster, Berlin 1994 (= Afrikanische Reisen 2). • The Books of the Old Testament. Translation in Amharic Language.,3 Bände, London 1871–73. • Dictionary of the Suahili Language, London 1882.

References

Sources and further reading

* Eber, Jochen: ''Johann Ludwig Krapf: ein schwäbischer Pionier in Ostafrika.'' 2006 * Gütl, Clemens. Johann Ludwig Krapf - "Do' Missionar vo' Deradenga" zwischen pietistischem Ideal und afrikanischer Realität (Beiträge zur Missionswissenschaft und interkulturellen Theologie, Bd. 17). Hamburg 2001. * Gütl, Clemens. Johann Ludwig Krapf's "Memoir on the East African Slave Trade" - Ein unveröffentlichtes Dokument aus dem Jahr 1853. With introduction edited by Clemens Gütl (Beiträge zur Afrikanistik, vol. 73), Wien 2002. * Kretzmann, Paul E. (no date, author 1883–1955) ''John Ludwig Krapf: The Explorer-Missionary of Northeastern Africa.'' Columbus, Ohio: The Book Concern. * Raupp, Werner: ''Gelebter Glaube''. Metzingen/Württemberg 1993, pp. 278–287: "Johann Ludwig Krapf - Bahnbrecher der ostafrikanischen Mission". * Raupp, Werner: Johann Ludwig Krapf. Missionar, Forschungsreisender und Sprachforscher (1810–1881). In: Lebensbilder aus Baden-Württemberg, vol. 22. Ed. by Gerhard Taddey and Rainer Brüning, Stuttgart 2007, pp. 182–226. * Raupp, Werner: Johann Ludwig Krapf, "dr Missionar vo Deradinga". In: ''Hin und weg. Tübingen in aller Welt''. Ed. by Karlheinz Wiegmann. Tübingen 2007 (Tübinger Kataloge, 77), S. (90) - 99. * Raupp, Werner: ''Morgenroth des Reiches Gottes''. In: ''Tübinger Blätter'' 96 (2010), pp. 70–73.

External links and sources

* *
Krapf's life and works
* Kretzmann, Paul E.
''John Ludwig Krapf: The Explorer-Missionary of Northeastern Africa''
at

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It provides free public access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, software applications/games, music, ...

1882 bio of Krapf

Kraft at the web site of the Evangelische Kirche Württemberg

More pictures of J.L. Krapf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krapf, Johann Ludwig 1810 births 1881 deaths People from Tübingen People from the Kingdom of Württemberg German Lutheran missionaries Translators of the Bible into Swahili Translators of the Bible into Amharic Anglican missionaries in Ethiopia Anglican missionaries in Kenya 19th-century translators German Anglican missionaries German expatriates in Ethiopia German expatriates in Kenya Lutheran missionaries in Ethiopia Lutheran missionaries in Kenya German explorers of Africa 19th-century Lutherans Missionary linguists