Johannes Rebmann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Johannes Rebmann
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| Born | January 16, 1820 Gerlingen near Stuttgart, Germany
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| Died | October 4, 1876 (aged 56) Korntal near Stuttgart, Germany
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| Occupation | missionary, explorer |
Johannes Rebmann (born January 16, 1820 – died October 4, 1876) was a German missionary, language expert, and explorer. He is famous for being one of the first Europeans, along with his friend Johann Ludwig Krapf, to explore Africa from the Indian Ocean coast. He was also the first European to see Mount Kilimanjaro. When news of his discovery was shared in 1849, many people didn't believe him. They thought it was impossible for snow to be on a mountain so close to the equator. However, later expeditions, especially one led by Baron Karl Klaus von der Decken in the 1860s, proved Rebmann was right. Rebmann and Krapf were also the first Europeans to visit and report on Mount Kenya. Their work helped inspire other famous explorers like Sir Richard Burton, John Hanning Speke, and David Livingstone. Rebmann later lost most of his eyesight and passed away from pneumonia.
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Early Life and Becoming a Missionary
Johannes Rebmann was born on January 16, 1820, in a small village called Gerlingen in Germany. His family were farmers and grew grapes for wine. Even when he was young, Johannes wanted to become a "preacher" and share Christian teachings.
As a young man, Rebmann decided to become a missionary. He trained in Basel, Switzerland, and then in England. In 1845, he became a priest and joined the Church Missionary Society. The next year, he traveled to East Africa with his fellow missionary, Johann Ludwig Krapf. They sailed on a ship called "Arrow" and began their work in what is now Kenya.
Their work was challenging. It was hard to convince tribal leaders to let them speak to the people. Krapf noticed that the religion of Islam was spreading quickly in Africa. He wanted to establish a Christian presence there. As they explored more areas, they started planning Christian mission outposts.
Rebmann kept a diary from 1848 until he died. In it, he wrote about how his Christian faith helped him stay strong in Africa. Few Europeans had traveled there before him. He found comfort in Bible verses, like one that said: "Restore to me joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."
Discovering Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya
In 1848, Johannes Rebmann became the first European to see Mount Kilimanjaro. The next year, in 1849, he and his colleague Krapf saw Mount Kenya.
On October 16, 1847, Rebmann and Krapf started a journey into the interior of Kenya. They traveled with eight local tribesmen and a caravan leader named Bwana Kheri. Their goal was to set up some of the first mission stations in the area. The trip was successful, and they returned to Mombasa on October 27.
During their journey, Rebmann and Krapf heard about a huge mountain called 'Kilimansharo'. People said it reached the clouds and had a 'silver cap'. Like most Europeans at the time, they thought snow and ice couldn't exist so close to the equator. So, they didn't fully understand what the 'silver cap' meant.
However, the missionaries were very interested in Kilimanjaro. Krapf asked the governor of Mombasa for permission to visit the land of the Jagga people, who lived on Kilimanjaro's slopes. Krapf said it was for missionary work. But Krapf didn't go on the trip himself. So, on April 27, 1848, only Bwana Kheri and Rebmann left for Kilimanjaro.
Within two weeks, Rebmann and his guide saw the mountain. Rebmann wrote in his journal about the strange white color on Kilimanjaro's top. He asked his guide what it was. The guide said he didn't know but thought it was "coldness." It was then that Rebmann realized Kilimanjaro was actually covered in snow.
In 1849, his observations were published. But many scientists didn't believe him. They even thought he might have been seeing things because of malaria. On November 10, 1848, Rebmann wrote in his log about the mountain:
This morning we discerned the Mountains of Jagga more distinctly than ever; and about ten o'clock I fancied I saw a dazzlingly white cloud. My Guide called the white which I saw merely 'Baridi,' cold; it was perfectly clear to me, however, that it could be nothing else but snow.
Mount Kenya was discovered by Krapf the next year, on December 3, 1849. This discovery was also met with doubt in Europe. But these findings encouraged more exploration in Africa. This led to a big increase in scientific knowledge about the continent's regions, people, history, and geography.
Other Work in Africa
Rebmann lived in Africa for nearly thirty years without returning home. He believed that to truly help the African people and complete his missionary work, he needed a lot of patience. This belief kept him working on the continent for many years.
Besides visiting Kilimanjaro, Rebmann and Krapf explored other parts of Africa. These included the African Great Lakes and Mount Meru. Rebmann married another missionary named Anna Maria. They worked together for fifteen years until she died in 1866. They also had a child who sadly died just days after birth.
During his time in Africa, after his expeditions, Rebmann learned several local languages. He helped finish a dictionary of the Nika (Mijikenda) language, which his colleague Krapf had started. He also worked on a dictionary of Swahili, which is now lost. Some of his work might have been used in Krapf's later Swahili dictionary. In 1853, he met a Swahili-speaking slave from Malawi named Salimini. From this meeting, Rebmann created the first ever dictionary for the Chichewa language, which was published in 1877.
The Slug Map
While in Africa, Krapf and Rebmann traveled deep into the continent. They visited several areas in Central and Eastern Africa, including the region of the African Great Lakes. They found a very large lake, which they called 'Uniamési'. This lake was shown on a map known as the 'Slug' map. It got this name because the lake's shape looked a bit like a slug.
Another missionary named Jakob Erhardt helped create this map. He used reports from Krapf and Rebmann, and information he got from local people. Erhardt noticed that travelers coming from different parts of the coast all ended up at an inland sea. In November 1854, while talking to Rebmann, they both realized something important. They understood that where people thought there was a huge mountain range, there was actually a giant valley and an inland sea.
On the map that Erhardt and Rebmann drew, the three lakes we now know as Victoria, Tanganyika, and Nyasa were shown as one very large L-shaped lake.
The Slug Map also shows interesting details. In the northeast part of the map, it mentions a stream flowing into Lake Victoria, which they called "the Ukerewa." A note says the water was very sweet but stained teeth a sickly yellow. This note is probably the first mention of drinking water around Mount Meru. This water has a lot of fluorine, which can cause yellow-brown stains on teeth.
Another note on the Slug Map says: "From where the Magad [soda] is bought." This shows that trading soda from Lake Natron (which wasn't called that then) was already happening.
In 1855, Erhardt had to return home because he was sick. He took the map with him. It was first published in a German missionary paper in 1855 and then in an English one in 1856. The map is now kept at the Royal Geographical Society in London. They describe it as:
Sketch of a Map from 1°N. to 15°S. Latitude and from 23° to 43°E. Longitude delineating the probably position and extent of the Sea of Uniamesi as being the continuation of the Lake Niasa and exhibiting the numerous heathen-tribes situated to the East and West of that great Inland-sea together with the Caravan routes leading to it and into the interior in general. In true accordance with the information received from natives - Representatives of various inland tribes - and Mahomidan inland traders. By the Revd. Messrs. Erhardt and F. Rebmann Missionaries of the Church Miss. Society in East Africa Kisaludini March 14, 1855.
Later Life and Death
Johannes Rebmann's eyesight became very poor for unknown reasons. In September 1875, he returned to Europe. It was his first time back in Germany in 29 years. A fellow missionary convinced him to go home. He settled in Korntal, near Stuttgart, where his old friend Krapf lived. In the spring of 1876, Krapf suggested he marry. Rebmann married Louise Rebmann, who was the widow of another missionary. Their marriage was short. On October 4, 1876, Rebmann died from pneumonia. On his tombstone in Korntal cemetery are the words: "Saved in the arms of Jesus."
The work and memory of Johannes Rebmann are kept alive by the Johannes Rebmann Foundation. This religious group is dedicated to him. Rebmann's efforts in Africa, both as a missionary and an explorer, paved the way for other Europeans to follow his path.
Images for kids
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Johannes Rebmann
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Kibo Summit of Kilimanjaro
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The Slug Map
See also
In Spanish: Johannes Rebmann para niños
