Marengo and Malinowski. The French-Austrian Oblates of St Francis de Sales (Salesians) in Great Namaland, southern Namibia

Abstract

The Catholic missionary Johann Malinowski is generally remembered as the facilitator of peace between Germans and Bondelswarts (!Gami-#nun) in 1906. Yet, biogra­phical information on this man, who had received medals of distinction from the German Emperor on two occasions, remains clouded. This applies to the history of the Catholic mission enterprise in what today is southern Namibia as well, and more generally, to the establishment of the Catholic Church in Namibia. This paper throws some light on these historical developments, offering a first inroad for further research.