Missionare

Missionaries: In the 17^th and 18^th centuries many Austrian missionaries were active in China, South-East Asia, America and Africa (there were 737 German-speaking Jesuits, 22 % of whom came from Austria and 40 % from former Austrian countries). A great number of missionaries were also scholars and explorers. China was the destination of many scholars of mathematics, astronomy and cartography, like A. Koffler, X. Friedel, M. Martini from Trento ("Novus Atlas Sinensis", 1655), J. Grueber from Linz (the first Tibet explorer), C. W. Herdtrich (author of a Chinese-Latin dictionary) and G. von Laimbeckhoven from Vienna (d. 1758, Bishop of Nanking). Austrian missionaries were also active in the Marianas, the Philippines and in Hindustan. In South America Austrian Jesuits were licenced to work as missionaries from 1684 on. They did missionary and research work in Mexico (E. F. Kühn, Karl Boranga, the natural scientist F. von Inama-Sternegg, etc.), the area of the Orinoco River (C. Rüdel from Salzburg), the Marañon river (F. X. Zephyris, F. Veigl), in Peru (F. Borinic, J. Röhr, F. X. Eder), Chile (F. Khuen) and Paraguay (A. Sepp von Rechegg, M. Strobl, J. Briegniel, M. Dobrizhoffer). When the Jesuit Order was dissolved in 1773, missionary work came to an end. In 1882 abbot F. Pfanner from Vorarlberg founded a missionary abbey in Mariannhill, which became the biggest mission centre of South Africa. In the following years missionaries from the Missionshaus St. Gabriel near Mödling, who went on study tours, were particularly active. Numerous collections in various museums in Austria and publications give proof of the extensive work done by Austrian missionaries, many of whom died in World War II. Missionaries often stood up for the rights of the poor at the risk of their own lives, such as the Vorarlberg Bishop of Xingu (Brazil), E. Kräutler. - There are 620 Austrian missionaries (1993: Africa 196, America 273, Asia 107, Europe 15, Australia and Oceania 29), of whom 418 are sisters, 27 brothers and 175 priests. Missionary Associations and Mission Houses.