Gertse, Samuel * Kookfontein, 1805 † Otjimbingwe, 16.10.1889. "Married the first baptised Herero-speaker, Johanna (Uerieta), in 1864. Worked for the RMS for most of his life in various capacities, amongst others as agricultural instructor for Herero converts in Omaruru in the 1870's; [...]"1 Helped to build the first house for Hahn in Otjikango.2 During a visit to Jonker, in August 1852, Schöneberg mentioned his translator Samuel and his [Samuels] "[...] Secundant [...]" van der Westhuis.3 In September 1852, Schöneberg wrote in his diary: "Samuel kam in vergangener Woche von einer Handelsreise zurück, die er für sich und die Missionare Bam und Gorth gemacht hatte. Er erzählte mir heute, die Namaqua hätten ihn gefragt, was es bedeute, daß alle Missionare wegzögen?"4 [role as important informant for the RMS missionaries]. When Schöneberg was absent from Otjikango in that same year, it was Samuel Gertze who looked after the station. Piet Gertse helped Rath and Hörnemann to move from Otjimbingwe to Berseba, when both of them left Namibia in 1862. On his way back to Otjimbingwe, Gertse helped Kleinschmidt to move from Rehoboth to Otjimbingwe.5 After the death of Samuel Gertse's first wife, Elisabeth, Daniel Cloete wrote to Hahn (who was in Germany by this time): "Der arme Samuel lebt jetzt durch diese Sache in schweren Tagen. Er wird vielleicht wieder nach der Colonie zurückkehren, und das besonders um seiner Kinder willen, für die er fürchtet, wenn sie in diesem Lande groß werden sollten."6 Cloete wrote in a letter to Hahn: "Samuel läßt Dich und Mutter und die Kinder herzlich grüßen und zeigt Euch den Tod seiner Frau und seines Vaters an. Er ist seiner Kinder wegen sehr bekümmert und wünscht ihretwegen nach der Colonie zurückzukehren. Er will nicht, daß sie sich hier im Lande verheirathen und hier ansässig werden. Deßhalb möchte er sie, während sie noch jung sind und er noch lebt, in Sicherheit bringen, denn er fürchtet die Gottlosigkeit der hiesigen Namaqua. Wäre er's allein, dann hielte er's noch aus. Er fragt deshalb bei Dir, lieber Vater, um Rath, was er nämlich thun soll."7 Samuel Gertse, together with Daniel Cloete, received a container ("Kiste") from the RMS ("Gesellschaft") in 1861.8 Brincker wrote in November 1863 that the inhabitants of Otjikango left the place due to an attack by the Afrikaner. With all the people of the mission station, also Daniel Cloete (at this time still written as Klute) and Samuel Gertse left Otjikango. They, however, turned around and came back, only to find the station totally destroyed. Brincker wrote, that they will be have to work long, before things are restored.9 Franz Gertse - his son - attended the Augustineum course under Viehe in 1892. Samuel Gertse mas married to Johanne, his brother Matthäus Gertze he was a school teacher in Rehoboth.10 Conradt mentions Mathäus [sic] as the school teacher of Rehoboth, without giving any further information.11 Employed as a Nama-translator in Otjimbingwe in 1874?.12 Hahns Kolonisten sollten, zusammen mit den eingeborenen Arbeitern und den Schülern der Evangelistenschule, eine beispielhafte Gemeinde bilden. (Sundermeier 1962:118). In the begin of 1863 Daniel Cloete and Samuel Gertze were negotiating between Christian Afrikaner and Maharero Tjamuaha when they were on the brink of war.13 In May 1883 Baumann starts with the mission work amongst the Bergdamara in Otjimbingwe, 200-300 of them attend the service in the church. Baumann uses Samuel Gertse as his translator for the time being, until his actual translator Jonas Richter arrives.14 It seems that, according to a remark by Palgrave, which is quoted by Gewald, that Samuel Gertse was involved in the (forceful) recruitment of Bergdamara labourers for farms in the Cape.15 By 1888 Samuel Gertse [named Gertse by Conrad] worked as a "Treiber" for Julius Dannert. Julius Dannert (1858-1897)16, a trader, was employed by Ludwig Conrad for the "Deutsch-Westafrikanische Kompanie". He was the younger brother of RMS missionary Eduard Dannert. The "Deutsch-Westafrikanische Kompanie" was established in Germany in the middel of 1888 with the aim to establish a meat- and fish canning factory in Sandwich Harbour and to trade in Damara- and Ovamboland. The main representative of the company in Namibia was Ludwig Conrad.17 Bernsmann, who could not speak Nama, was responsible for the Bergdamara congregation in Otjimbingwe in 1888. Bernsmann praised the members of the Bergdamra congregation, because the services were better frequented then in the Herero congregation, the baptism classes were bigger and during holy communion there would seldom be someone absent. Bernsmann regretted it that he could not spend more time with the Bergdamara congregation. Because of the language, he could not do the work without Samuel Gertse as a translator.18 Married: For the first time: Elisabeth * ?? † Otjikango, 11.05.1861 (died of Malaria). (Hahn's remark in a letter by Daniel Cloete: Viele Jahre haben wir die Elisabeth gekannt und in ihr immer eine treue, gläubige Christin gefunden. Für meinen armen Samuel, der nun mit einem Haus voll Kinder zurückgeblieben ist, ist's ein schwerer Verlust. Wir trauern mit ihm. Sie war eine von den wenigen Namaqua, deren Wandel und Bekenntniß übereinstimmte.)19 Must have had 8 children with Samuel Gertse. Johanna (Uerieta), in 1864.20 * ?,16.?? September 1837 † Otjimbingwe, 3.7.1936. "[...] daughter of Kazahendike and his wife Kariaavihe; servant, teacher and linguist, lived with the Hahns since the age of ca. eight years; she could speak Dutch, German, English, Nama and her mother tongue, Herero; she worked with Hahn on a Herero-German grammar and dictionary (for which Hahn received a Ph.D. in 1874); became known as the first Herero baptist, named Johanna [...]. Raised his eight children from a previous marriage and had nine children of her own."21 Children: * Ernstine, * !Hei//gaxab, ca. 1839, † Okombahe, 24.04.1896, baptized in Otjimbingwe. [No indication that she was a daughter of Samuel]22 * Franz, Son of Samuel Gerze (sic) attended Augustineum in 1869 when Viehe took over from Brincker.23 * Emma, born ca. 1850 and God-child of Emma Hahn. "[...] Sie hilft im Hause und im Nähen und macht uns bis jetzt wenig Freude." (Hahn in BRMG 1865:244). * Zachaëb [sic], * Franzfontein, ca. 1859, † Okombahe, 12.1899, [No indication that he was a son of Samuel]24 * Matthäus (Mattheus) (teacher at Rehoboth)25 By 1864 he was "Eselwächter und Laufjunge" in Otjimbingwe, connected to Hahn. * Emil, * Otjimbingwe, ca. 1878, † Okombahe, 07.06.1898. [No indication that he was a son of Samuel]26 * Petrus (a foster-son) Education: Mission Stations: Bethanien, Otjikango (1844 with Hahn and Daniel Cloete, later Heinrich Brincker) Omaruru, Otjimbingwe. Okombahe History with the RMG: Other family members connected to RMG: The marriage arrangements for evangelists (as well as all other employees of the RMS missionaries) were well planned to connect the few Christian members of the missionstations which each other. With the close connection amongst the RMS missionaries (see "mission-family") they were aware of the "heiratsfähige" associates of other missionstations. An example is the arrangement by Krönlein for his Damara "Knecht" Joseph (no further names given) in Berseba, whom he had married to a member of the family of the close mission associate Samuel Gertze in Bethany. The girl, Katuriuvah, originally resisted her removal to Berseba. She was baptized in 1857 together with her husband and "seitdem haben sie sich lieb und brav gehalten, uns auch treu gedient ..." Their 5 children were Jakob, Regina, Emma, Joseph and Johannes.27 "Das hiesige [Otjimbingwe in 1862] Flußbett, von der Station bis zum Engl. Quartier, ist ganz grün von jungem Weizen, namentlich der von Philipus und Petrus Gertse, die früh gesät haben, steht sehr schön."28 When the inauguration of the church and the 50th anniversary of the Swartbooi congregation was celebrated in July 1895 in Franzfontein, Katharina Gertse [sic] (of Rehoboth), a "Gemeindeschwester", was wellcomed.29 Franz Gertse [sic] arrived at the newly founded missionstation Windhoek in 1899 from Walfishbay as a translator.30 In the same year Franz joined the Police Force, much to the disappointment of Siebe, who now had to rely again on the translation service of a woman with "[...] zweifelhaften Lebenswandel und Wert."31 Piet Gertse. See extra file. Ernstine Gertze, * !Hei//gaxab, ca. 1839, † Okombahe, 24.04.1896, baptized in Otjimbingwe. [No indication that she was a daughter of Samuel]32 Im Jahr 1906 wird ein Karl Gertze ("Dem Sohn des entlassenen alten Schulmeisters Matthäus Gertze" Von dem Blecher aber bereits 1907 berichtet "[...] daß er auf eine entschiedene Umkehr des entlassenen alten Schulmeisters Matthäus Gertze glaubt hoffen zu können"33) zusammen mit Johann Bens als "Bastard-Schulmeister" in Rehoboth erwähnt.34 Gertze Grab in Okahandja: Gerhard 16.10.1884 in Otjimbingwe - 27.10.1907 in Okahandja. (Außer dem Foto des Grabsteins - 2014 - keine weiteren Hinweise). Gertze Gräber in Otjimbingwe: Emma 1917 - 57. Maria M. 1810 - 25.7.1857. Jakob 1878 - 1929. Sara 06.04.1879 - 22.09.1958. Eduard Martinus 07.02.1871 - 15.09.1945. Adelheid 07.05.1872 - 07.08.1958. Ludwig 28.04.1924 - 16.04.1962. Max Siebers und Sarah Gertse lassen am 03.07.1904 ihre beiden Kinder Ida Johanna Sophie Caroline (geb. 13.01.1902) und Franz Ernst Petrus Ferdinand (geb. 01.04.1904) (beide Gertse mit Nachnamen) in Karibib von Elger taufen.35 Julius Walther und Sophia Gertse lassen am 19.03.1905 ihr uneheliches Kind Rudolf Max (geb. 11.08.1904) (Gertse mit Nachnamen) in Karibib von Elger taufen.36 Das Kind von Becker und Emma Gertse, Karolina Johanna Elisabeth wird am 09.02.1908 in Karibib von Elger getauft.37 Further Reading: For further studies of the Gertse family, which moved to Eselsbank/Wupperthal and Beukeskraal/Wupperthal in the Cape with Rath in 1861 (the family called itself Koherta before changing to Gertse), see Moritz in Journal XXIII p 43. 1 Lau 1985:1241-1364. (Als Quelle nennt Lau: Vedder: 'Schwarze Schwester', 37; WA Quellen 2 evidence of Hosea, Okaruze p. 82 WA=Windhoek National Archives.) 2 Baumann 1967:36. 3 BRMG 1853:248. 4 BRMG 1853:251. 5 BRMG 1862:48. 6 BRMG 1861:316. 7 BRMG 1861:317-318. 8 BRMG 1861:317. 9 BRMG 1864:198. 10 Der kleine Missionsfreund . 1892, Nr. 12:186. 11 Conradt 2006:141+170. 12 Baumann 1967:70. 13 Vedder 1934:405. 14 BRMG 1883:340. 15 Gewald 1999:66. 16 Julius Dannert was born on 13.10.1858 at Vörde in Germany. He worked for the missionary trader Hälbich as a smith, but established himself independently as a transport rider and trader in Otjimbingwe by 1887. He was married to Johanna Schaffranck. Due to his critical attitude towards the colonial government, Dannert's relations with his brother Eduard, the missionary, and other settlers seem to have been strained, whereas his relations to Nama and Ovaherero customers were reported to be based on mutual respect. He died on 19.10.1897 at Otjimbingwe. (http://www.klausdierks.com/Biographies/Biographies_D.htm) 17 Conradt 2006:88. 18 BRMG 1888:371. 19 BRMG 1861:315. 20 Carl Hugo Hahn. Tagebücher 1837-1860. Diaries Part 5. Register and Indexes. A Missionary in Nama- and Damaraland. Archives Services Devision. Windhoek, 1985. S. 1241 - 1364. 1 Karte S 1255. (Als Quelle nennt Laun: Vedder: 'Schwarze Schwester', 37; WA Quellen 2 evidence of Hosea, Okaruze p. 82 WA=Windhoek National Archives.) 21 Carl Hugo Hahn. Tagebücher 1837-1860. Diaries Part 5. Register and Indexes. A Missionary in Nama- and Damaraland. Archives Services Devision. Windhoek, 1985. S. 1241 - 1364. 1 Karte S 1296. (Als Quelle nennt Laun: see also Hahn vol.4, 1103; Vedder: Uerieta.) 22 AELCRN C VI 22:n.pg. 23 RMG 1.603c:3. 24 AELCRN C VI 22:n.pg. 25 Der Kleine Missionsfreund. No. 12. 1892:187. 26 AELCRN C VI 22:n.pg. 27 Der kleine Missionsfreund. Nr. 4. 1868:58-62. 28 BRMG 1862:50. 29 Schneider 2001:39. 30 JBRMG 1898:21. 31 JBRMG 1897:24. 32 AELCRN C VI 22:n.pg. 33 JBRMG 1907:33. 34 JBRMG 1906:34. 35 Kirchenbuch der Gemeinde Karibib. Register der Getauften. S. 1. 36 Kirchenbuch der Gemeinde Karibib. Register der Getauften. S. 3. 37 Kirchenbuch der Gemeinde Karibib. Register der Getauften. S. 3. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 3/3 28.04.2021 3:11 C:\LOCG\Privat\EvangelistenProjekt\Gertse Samuel.doc