https://www.facebook.com/985391827996437/

Echoes of Medingen Village: A German Mission Diary

Home
South Africa
Modjadji
Echoes of Medingen Village: A German Mission Diary

Since 1881, Medingen's missionaries recorded local life in diaries and photos,creating a rich history

04/08/2026

"Miss F. Weber with the girls at the Botshabelo teacher training seminary."

03/08/2026

"To bring it to the report, the doctor arrived today with an investigation team and an officer from the police and examined the dead child; he stated that it could well only have occurred through criminal neglect, as other signs [of violence] were not to be discovered.
The man Tada shall be summoned together with his wife, and also the old mother should be summoned, and they should accordingly be warned by us that if the children also die, they would then bear the guilt.

The young man from Mamatse, who is also one of our auxiliary policemen their cousin, his wife has twins too. Father and son both intervened, demanding that they must not be killed, and they are now already over three months old and perfectly healthy.

The Queen Modjadji also does not wish for them to be killed, and that is a massive help in this direction. Right at the royal capital itself, we actually have several pairs of twins alive. This may well have spurred this father on to keep his children alive. But the Pioneer of Faith holds fast to his believers; He proves that they live according to His territory.."

The father standing in the front is named Tada and the mother is Mota. The midwives had abandoned them, so he, almost dying of hunger, married a pagan woman each, yet pagans then found no close help; that which they asked for, the Lord gave certainty

02/08/2026

Two Hundred-Year-Olds"

"Two centenarians in Warmbaths, Transvaal: top: Old Johannes Modeniol (an old Oorlam person), 115 years old, sits in front of his small hut and listens to the Reverend G. van Rensburg after he received Holy Communion. He was always an exceptionally faithful churchgoer.

Bottom: Old Elia Majola, 105 years old, was baptized in February by the Reverend Van Rensburg."

01/08/2026

Ancestral connection: Traditional practices heavily emphasize the power of Moya (spirit) and connection to the Badimo (ancestors) to bring about physical and inner wellness

31/07/2026

"Medical Mission Service in Bavendaland.

Left: Our native 'deaconess' Hilda Popi; right: Mrs. Missionary Westphal in front of the hospital hut in Georgenholtz. (Handwritten note: Sister [Schwester] of Krauss [from] Medingen)

30/07/2026

"The Owambo people gather and store their grain in these unique pots, very skillfully woven and closed with a neat lid, which appears here on this remarkable illustration. In the middle, right, stands a giant jug whose lid is still being manufactured."

Cultural context

In traditional Owambo homesteads (olupale), grain storage is a critical aspect of farming mahangu (pearl millet), which is the staple crop of the region. The grain baskets (omashisha) are raised off the ground on wooden poles to protect the harvest from dampness, termites, and rodents. Weaving these massive, durable structures requires immense artisanal skill and they can preserve grain safely for multiple seasons.

29/07/2026

"AFRICAN LANDSCAPE. The entrance to the Kruger National Park. Taken by Mr. Emil Schweickerdt, Pretoria."

28/07/2026

"The two small photographs show us

the little church of the outstation Rapitsi of Medingen, which was dedicated on the day of its inauguration on Sunday, July 3rd, by the Missionary W. Krause, and was reported on pages 740–46. Right in time, as W. Krause unlocks the house of God in the name of the Triune God and hands it over for the service of the congregation, W. Krause holds the entrance door on the left.

The two standing next to it are the two old shepherds, Schmidt [and] E. Reuter. The photograph was taken by the teacher, Mr. Matan Schweizer-Reinicke."

27/07/2026

"Christians of Tzaneen with Evangelist Elias Ramokgola, outstation region of the Berlin mission station Medingen (Transvaal), gathering for church service in the mission chapel..."

26/07/2026

"FIRST NURSERY SCHOOL IN PRETORIA:

Children play in the garden of Pretoria's first nursery school. Play forms one of the most important activities of the institution."

Address

Bolobedu
Modjadji
0838

Website

facebook.com

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Echoes of Medingen Village: A German Mission Diary posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your museum to be the top-listed Museum in Modjadji?