Johann Jakob Baegert

Christoph Johannes Jakob Baegert, also: Begert ( born December 22, 1717 Schlettstadt, † September 29, 1772 in Neustadt an der Haardt ) was a German Jesuit missionary and author of an important ethnological work.

Life and work

Origin and Order Entry

Jacob Baegert came as the son of counterparties located in Alsace Kaysersberg spouses John Michael Baegert and Mary Magdalene born Schey deck, in Schlettstadt to the world. The father exercised the profession a glover. As a young man Baegert occurred on September 17, 1736 to Mainz in the Society of Jesus and studied philosophy there. From 1740 to 1743 he taught at the Jesuit college in Mannheim, studied theology in Molsheim to 1747 and was ordained a priest.

1747 and 1748 taught Father Baegert as a professor in Haguenau. The end of 1748 he was sent to Bock Home / Alsace (now Sarre- Union), where he prepared for the posting as America missionary.

Missionary in California

From Bock home he broke out on January 10, 1749 in the "New World". By stagecoach, the priest traveled via Ettlingen, Augsburg, Innsbruck and Milan to Genoa, where he arrived on March 20th of the year. 10 weeks later, he drove across the Mediterranean to Cadiz. At this university, " Hospitium de las Indias " Father Baegert received the last instructions, embarked on June 16, 1750 to Mexico and ended on 23 August in Veracruz. At the Collegio San Gregorio in Mexico City, he decided his orden internal trial period and left for California on November 16, 1750. Using various intermediate stations reached Jacob Baegert on May 28, 1751 its new workplace in the remote mission station of San Luis Gonzaga Chiriyaqui. Here he worked until his expulsion by the Spanish colonialists 1767th

Return and death

After the so-called Madrid Hutaufstand (1766) had reported a decree dated June 1767 the Jesuits from Spain and its colonies. On the way back from Spain Baegert got there in eight months imprisonment. From April 1769 again in the home, the priest held the last minute in his birthplace Schlettstadt, but soon moved to Neustadt an der Haardt (now Neustadt on the Wine Route ) over. He worked there until his death as a pastor in the managed by the Jesuits Collegiate Church parish, where he worked as a particularly experienced confessor, spiritual director of the religious community, as well as a teacher at the Jesuit College. Father Baegert was buried in the Jesuit crypt to Neustadt, his simple grave plate at its dissolution, the end of the 19th century, to the outer wall of the cath. Marienkirche added. It is admitted on the northeast side of the choir, under the epitaph of Rev. Bernhard Magel, but in the meantime severely damaged by the weather and just barely legible.

The printed mission memories

Here on the last place of operations in the then Palatine Neustadt, wrote the priest in book form his mission Memories from California, which were first published in 1771 in nearby Mannheim. A second edition, but without Responsibility, revised Father Baegert do yourself She appeared in his death in 1772, likewise to Mannheim.

In this highly autobiographical " News from the American peninsula California " he reported on the country and people, especially about the Indians, whose simple lifestyle he described with open sympathy. The work also contains an introduction to the local Indian culture and language as well as German - Indian translations of common prayers, also an annex with correction of widespread prejudices about America and the work of the missionaries.

Father Baegerts book was translated into English and Spanish. In America, it experienced several new editions or reprints and extract impressions, well into the present. It is there as a patrimonial - native historical standard work and is considered important geographical, ethnological, discovery and mission historical representation; in his home country, it is unfortunately forgotten almost entirely. Only the modern book " German in a foreign country: assimilation - definition - Integration", by Torsten M. Kuhlmann and Bernd Müller- Jacquier brings a few excerpts, which can immediately realize what an impressive historical and regional studies depiction here imposed by the country yet due to their Findings waiting:

" The thorns in California whose amount is loaded quietly amazing and many seynd their reputation appalling. It seems that the curse God after the Fall of Adam on the earth has to endure, bizarre affected California and there has had its effect. It stung me one least of curiosity and I did my best to count the contained Dörner, at one, tensioning long, cut out of the midst of a branch or arm of a thorn tree and a good fist -thick piece, and I counted the no less than one thousand six hundred and eighty. "

The time in Germany still largely unknown bananas describes the priest as:

" The fruit which the Spaniards call in America Plantanos is like a Traub, who sometimes wäget half a hundredweight and much more. There are the various genera and some 200 Beerlein on a stem. This Beerlein seynd long and round, of the same thickness from top to bottom, like a cilinder, except that Beyde Endschaften seynd a little pointed. All Beerlein at the same grape seynd of the same thickness and length. But there are these, which only a third Spann and others that one and a half spans long seynd and almost armdick herein may stand and the variety whose Plantanos, although some geschmackiger seynd than the other. The fruit or meat is below a zimlich thick but soft shelf which one abziehet without Beschwernus. The Traub is aborted green and still hard and after he hung or located a few weeks at home, the shelf is yellow and then the fruit is edible even when to let but lie or hang him any longer so the shelf is quite black and the meat golden yellow, like a well -time crush, or a pretty horny goods and butter is then best. The midst of it is from the top down to the very small, almost invisible seeds. It seynd the Plantanos of good taste and süßlicht, but are a little hard in the stomach. "

Baegert stated in his report that he had killed about 500 scorpions alone in his rectory during their stay in California, and he gives his own experiences with not occurring here species such as the skunk to the best:

" A really fine Thierlein to shape the Eichhörnlein not much different and Sorillo called to report with honors, from a pestilenzischen so foul-smelling urine, that one in the room where it leaving out of fear, if you want him chase it, the breath off and after a month überbleibet a remnant of the infernal stench. "

And there is a collection of California letters of the Jesuit priest to his brother Franz Xaver Baegert, pastor in Dürningen. The originals are archived in the municipal library of Strasbourg, in America there is an English edition of it.

Father Baegerts book " Messages from the American peninsula California " was already reviewed in contemporary " Exquisite library of the latest German literature ", Volume 6, published by Meyer's bookstore, Lemgo, 1774 in detail.

Memories of Jacob Baegert

In the old mission station of San Luis Gonzaga Chiriyaqui, in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, the mission church built by Father James Baegert is preserved and is considered an important cultural and historical monuments in the region. Despite their situation imply primitiveness reminds the facade, with its two towers and the intervening Pediment, in its basic structure clear to Father Baegerts home church St. Fides, in the Alsatian Schlettstadt.

In honor of Father Baegert was discovered in 1917 in the area of a sea snail subspecies the scientific name " Turbonilla Baegerti ".

Selections

• " News from the American peninsula California ", Mannheim, Germany in 1772 and 1773, new ed span Mexico in 1942, engl. Los Angeles 1952 complete scan of the original German edition -. Complete scan of a modern, English translation.
• Website with English excerpts and reviews of Jacob Baegerts " News from the American peninsula California "