Through the Eyes of Missionaries and the Archives They Created: The Interwoven Histories of Power and Authority in the Nineteenth-century Transvaal

The archives of two German Lutheran mission societies hold rich data on, and interpretations of, Transvaal history. But this material cannot simply be mined for ‘facts’. It was assembled in a process of interaction in which the perceptions and values of both missionaries and converts were challenged, culturally translated and modified. The missionaries' views and perceptions became entangled with the thought patterns of colonial society and were challenged by African converts. This article argues that, in order to engage effectively with this archival material it is necessary to grasp the history of the missionaries, the dialogues they engaged in and the social transformations they experienced. It also suggests that the mission archives provide insights into the nineteenth-century history of marginal social strata in both Germany and South Africa.