Christian Friedrich Schwarz

with Schwartz Christian was born on 8 October (sometimes given as 22 or 26 October 1726) at Sonnenburg, in the electorate of Brandenburg, Prussia. His father was George Schwartz and his mother Margaret Grunerin; after several deaths in the family, his mother dedicated her infant boy to Christ and ensured that he would be trained for Christian service. His mother died when he was young and he went to grammar school in Sonnenburg under Mr Helm. He learnt Latin and Greek with some amount of Hebrew which he hoped to improve with studies in the town of Custrin. In 1746 he moved to study at the University of Halle where he met Schulz who had worked in the Madras Mission. Schultz was working on Tamil bible and sought help from Schwarz. Having learned Tamil to assist in a translation of the Bible into that language, he was led to form the intention of becoming a missionary to India. He received ordination at Copenhagen on 8 August 1749, and, after spending some time in England to acquire the English language, embarked early in 1750 for India. He arrived at Tiruchirapalli on 30 July via Tranquebar. Tranquebar was for some time his headquarters, but he paid frequent visits to Thanjavur and Tiruchirapalli, and in 1766 moved to Tiruchirapalli. Here he acted as chaplain to the garrison, who erected a church for his general use. He died on 13 February 1798 just before Serfoji II ascended the throne. He was laid to rest in St.Peter's Church in Maharnonbuchavadi, Thanjavur. In his tomb there is a tombstone with a short memoir and an elegy in English written by Serfoji II. ==Legacy==

Schwarz's direct success in making converts exceeded that of any other Protestant missionary in India, in addition to which he succeeded in winning the esteem of Muslims and Hindus. The raja of Tanjore erected a monument, executed by John Flaxman, in the mission church, in which he is represented as grasping the hand of the dying missionary and receiving his benediction. A monument to Schwarz by John Bacon was placed by the British East India Company in St Mary's church at Chennai. Schwarz High School in Ramanathapuram has produced notable students, among them Dr. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India. The following is the wording of the Memorial commissioned by Raja Serfoji To the memory of the Reverend Christian Frederic Swartz. Born at Sonnenburg of Neumark in the Kingdom of Prussia, the 26th of October 1726, and died at Tanjore the 13th of February 1798, in the 72d Year of his age. Devoted from his Early Manhood to the Office of Missionary in the East, the similarity of his situation to that of the first preachers of the gospel, produced in him a peculiar resemblance to the simple sanctity of the apostolic character. His natural vivacity won the affection as his unspotted probity and purity of life alike commanded the reverence of the Christian, Mahomedan and Hindu. For sovereign princes, Hindu, and Mahomeden selected this humble pastor as the medium of political negotiations with the British Government - Maha Raja Serfojee File:Schwarz_Memorial_at_CSI_Church,_Tanjore.jpg|Memorial to Schwartz by John Flaxman, commissioned by Serfoji II, Raja of Tanjore, at the CSI Schwartz Church, Tanjore File:Replica_of_the_Schwartz_Memorial_at_the_Tanjore_Museum.jpg|Replica of the Schwartz Memorial at the Tanjore Palace Museum File:Memorial Stone at the CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore.JPG|Memorial Stone at the CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore File:CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore.JPG|CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore File:Interiors of the CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore.JPG|Interiors of the CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore File:Side View of the CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore.JPG|Side View of the CSI Schwartz Memorial Church, Tanjore == Further reading ==