Uerieta (Johanna), later Gertse Kambuaruma Kazahendike * September 1837, baptized in Otjikango, 25.7.1858 † Otjimbingwe, 3.7.1936. Baumann, p. 38 Her father was a Damara man who worked for the Herero Kavetahi. When the Damara employee saved his employer during an encounter with an elephant, he was integrated into the Herero family and was called Kazahendike. He was allowed to marry a Herero girl, named Kariaavihe, who gave birth to three boys and one daughter, Uerieta.1 Fourth child of Kazanhendike and his wife Kariaavihe. She grew up near Okahandja and gave as her year of birth the year, according to Uerieta's words: "[...] when the English captain J.E. Alexander came to this country with his ox wagon to visit the Herero, but only reached Rehoboth." When asked in which month she was born, she would say: "My mother told me that I was born in the month when the wild raisin shrub grows the young leaves." When Uerieta was seven, her parents settled at Otjikango, where RMS missionary Hahn had founded a mission station. Here Uerieta attended school under Samuel Gertze (Samuel Gertze later became the Nama translator for Hahn in Otjimbingwe) and Daniel Cloete [Vedder writes Klute]. As a young girl she joined the Hahn family as a maid, learned English from Mrs. Hahn and German from Mr. Hahn. When the Hahn's went to Germany in 1853 she accompanied the family up to Cape Town and stayed with deaconess Christiane Kähler in Stellenbosch for the mean time. It was only when Rath arrived in Cape Town from Germany that she joined them on their journey to Namibia. In Bethany she was attached to the RMS missionary Kreft and his family. After Hahn's return to Namibia in 1856 she was brought back to Otjikango where she started to teach the lower grades in the school. She was baptized on the 25.7.1858 in Otjikango and was the first Namibian - after 15 years of mission work - Christian. During Hahn's second visit to Germany she accompanied him, with the special purpose to help in the final publication of his translations of the biblical stories, Herero grammar and a dictionary. They mainly stayed in Gütersloh, where his three sons were studying and where the publisher of the books had its headquarters. During weekends they used to visit congregations and mission festivals, where Urieta's humble and impressive personality inspired many of the supporters of the mission society. On the return of Mr. and Mrs Hahn and Urieta, she joined the household of the single RMS missionary Brincker, while the Hahn's settled in Otjimbingwe. When the bride of Brincker came to Otjikango, Urieta moved to Otjimbingwe, where the wife of Samuel Gertze, had died, leaving him with eight children. The Hahn couple proposed a marriage between the two, and on the 03.03.1864 the couple was married after which they moved to Anawood, where Samuel had built a stone house. Samuel Gertze died in 1880. Now Urieta was left with the children. Hahn no longer had the able translator. He later made use of the son of Daniel Cloete, Wilhelm Cloete. Her sister Magdalena, married to Wilhelm Maharero, became a spinster in the same year, 1880. Both of them stayed in Otjimbingwe and supported each other. When more and more German settlers settled near Otjimbingwe, she became a much sought after midwife for Whites. During the 1904 war she stayed with her son in Karibib. During the First World War she stayed in Okahandja and during the Second World War she lived in Otjimbingwe. She died peacefully in Otjimbingwe at the age of 99 years.2 "[...] 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."3 She could read and speak Herero, Nama, Hollands and German. She moved in the household of Hahn as a child of ca. 12 years. While the Hahns stayed in Germany on long vacation for four years in 1853, she lived with the mission family Kreft in Bethany. She helped Hahn to translate the New Testament, Catechism, Bible history, the hymnbook and reading books. Since Hahn wanted the books to be printed in Germany and he needed Uerieta for the last works before publishing, he took Uerieta to Germany when he and his family visited Germany in June 1859.4 GERTSE (I), Uerietta ("Johanna") (um 1837-1936), indigene Christin und Gehilfin von Missionar HAHN, geboren in Okandjira bei Okahandja als Tochter eines Bergdama und einer Herero-Frau, 1848 wird sie von dem Missionarsehepaar HAHN als Hausmädchen in Otjikango aufgenommen, 1853 Reise mit HAHNS in Kapland, nach ihrer Rückkehr bis 1857 in Bethanien, 1858 Taufe, danach als Lehrerin in Otjikango tätig, während dieser Zeit trägt GERTSE (I) aufgrund ihrer Sprachkenntnisse wesentlich zu den Sprachforschungen HAHNS über die Hererosprache bei, da sie ihn erheblich bei dessen Übersetzungen unterstützt, 1860 Besuch in Gütersloh mit HAHNS, wo der Missionar mit UERIETTAS Hilfe und kritischer Beratung eine Grammatik, ein Wörterbuch sowie biblische Geschichten in Otjiherero für den anschließenden Druck revidiert, nach der Rückkehr aus Deutschland Hochzeit mit dem einheimischen Christen Samuel Gertze und Übersiedlung nach Otjimbingwe, dort als Amme tätig, während des Herero-Nama-Krieges in Karibib, anschließend wieder in Otjimbingwe, während der ersten Kriegsjahre nach 1914 Flucht nach Okahandja, 1936 in Otjimbingwe im Alter von ungefähr 99 Jahren verstorben.5 April 1860 Uerieta nimmt an verschiedenen Missionsfesten teil als Beispiel für den Erfolg der Herero-Mission, z.B. in Gütersloh und Barmen Reist dann mit den "Missionsbräuten" Maria und Luise Nachtigall und Babette Kuhn zurück nach Afrika, bleibt in Kapstadt, wo sie bei einer erblindeten Dame arbeitet, der sie vorliest. Zur selben Zeit sind in Stellenbosch ihre Schwester Magdalena und die Hereromädchen Wilhelmine und Martha.6 16.10.1889 Uerieta Johanna Gertzes Schwester Magdalena heiratet Wilhelm Maharero, einen Sohn von Maharero7 Siehe Ihr (Original in Otjiherero) Dankesschreiben an Olpp vom 27.07.1933 anlässlich ihres 96. Geburtstages.8 Married: Gertse, Samuel in 1864. (own file). Children: * Nine children of her own * Eight children from a previous marriage of her husband Samuel Gertse. GERTSE (II), Franz, indigener Lehrer, Sohn von UERIETTA, nach langjähriger Tätigkeit in Karibib von ELGER 1909 wegen wiederholter Trunkenheit aus dem Dienst entlassen.9 1936 ist er allerdings wieder im Dienst als Lehrer und Evangelisten in Annawood.10 Sara Gertze taught the young people in Otjimbingwe.11 (Genealogy of the family Johannes and Maria Gertse - who went with missionary Rath to Wuppertal - see Moritz, Journal XXIII:43. According to Moritz the family name was first Koherta, before it was changed by 1890 into Gertse.) Education: Other family members connected to RMG: Mission Stations: Otjikango (from 1856 with Hahn) Otjimbingwe (from History with the RMG: Further Reading: "Afrikanischer Heimatkalender 1949" p. 81-90. Abschiedsbrief an Hahn als sie vor der Familie Hahn wieder nach Namibia fuhr (Brief ist leider nicht sehr aussagekräftig) "Der kleine Missionsfreund. Nr. 12. 1861:186-188. 1 Vedder 1949:82. 2 Vedder 1949:81-90. 3 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.) 4 Van Sending tot Kerk. Herausgeber ELK in SWA. 125 Jaar Rynse Sendingarbeid in Suidwes-Afrika. Redaksie: Dr. J. Baumann, Karibib Karibib, 1967. p. 39 22 row ff, left collumn. 5 Altena 2001:451. 6 Trüper Chron.pdf. 7 Trüper Chron.pdf. 8 AELCRN II 11.15:n.N. 9 Altena 2001:451. 10 AELCRN n.N. Jahresberichte 1936, 1937 und 1938. 11 Vedder 1949:90. --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ --------------- ------------------------------------------------------------ 3/3 28.04.2021 3:13 C:\LOCG\Privat\EvangelistenProjekt\Uerieta Johanna.doc