Bartholomaus Zeigenbalg was born in Pulsnitz, Saxony in 1682. Little is mentioned about his early childhood or his family. It is noted that while in high school, his parents died, which led to his coming to know Christ.
He was often ill and further schooling was a chore, but his professor at the University of Halle, August Hermann Francke, wouldn't give up on him.
King Frederick IV of Denmark wanted to send missionaries to his non-Christian subjects overseas, but was having a hard time finding anyone who wanted to go. He turned to his German court chaplain for help. It was through Chaplain Lutkens, who conferred with Professor Francke, that Batholomaus began his missionary endeavors.
Bartholomaus, along with fellow student Heinrich Plutschau, was ordained in Copenhagen and sent to Tranquebar, India in 1706. The Lutheran Churches of Germany would not support them, and so most of their help came from the University Halle.
The Danish Governor was not happy to have them there, nor were they accepted by the East India Trading Company. The Governor seemed very double minded, protecting them one moment and then persecuting them the next. At point, he even put Bartholomaus in prison.
All of this was going on while they were trying to get a handle on how to do mission work. First, they had to learn the local language of Tamil. His teacher taught him by drawing the alphabet on the beach sand. By 1708, Bartholomaus had acquired 161 Tamil books.
After learning to speak and write Tamil, Bartholomaus prepared a dictionary and a grammar book. He asked for a printing press from Denmark in 1709, and sent along drawings of the Tamil alphabet to made into printing type blocks. His first press came in 1713. Bartholomaus recruited a German soldier named Johann Schloricke to be his press operator. The same year another printer named Johanne Adler came to India with two apprentices to help Bartholomaus in his printing ministry.
Adler started a type making factory to manufacture the printing type blocks for the press. He also set up a paper mill and a printing ink factory. Adler's businesses made the supplies Bartholomaus needed available locally. This was all completed in 1716.
From there, Bartholomaus started to translate the Bible. He completed the entire New Testament and the Old Testament up through the Book of Ruth.
Bartholomaus was now alone on the mission field. Heinrich had gone back after 5 years in India.
This began a new phase in his mission work. Soon, hymnbooks and other Religious literature were printed, followed by a school for the local children, then a seminary for training converts.
Bartholomaus left for furlough in 1715 to raise support and awareness in the Tranquebar Mission. He traveled all over Europe and found support in Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, and New England. His mission was also taken on by two Anglican agencies that supported mission work in America.
Bartholomaus died in 1719, but his memoirs would go on to effect Susannah Wesley as she raised her children, most notable of whom were John and Charles Wesley. His testimony and burden also encouraged the German Count Zinzendorf, who began his own ministry and later became known as the Father of Moravian Missions.
His work was continued by Johann Philip Fabricius, who completed the Old Testament translation into Tamil, and Benjamin Shcultze, who carried the work to Telugu and Hindu speaking communities.
