Socio-political context In 1865, the British colonial government was contemplating abandoning the Gold Coast as a colony due to perceived economic unviability in the impenetrable forested
middle belt of Ghana. Eager to keep its missionary presence on the Gold Coast, the Basel Mission Home Committee assigned one of its missionaries, Elias Schrenk (1831–1913), on a fact-finding and diplomatic task; proving to
Westminster that the development of infrastructure, particularly roads would open up the natural resource-rich forest Akan hinterland. He sailed to London and argued his case before the parliamentary committee after petitioning the Colonial Secretary. Schrenk was successful in his mission and the Gold Coast remained a British colony. A small museum was built next to the central shrine of Abetifi by the
Ghana Museums and Monuments Board as a testament of the first dwelling of the Ramseyers at
Abetifi and a symbol of interreligious dialogue between traditionalists and Christians. Nothing came of this activity. David Asante later visited Kumasi, where he met Ramseyer when the latter was working as a free missionary. In Ramseyer's diary, he noted that he witnessed 2000 to 3000 slaves, prisoners of war and criminals being used as
human sacrifices during his years in captivity in Kumasi. By 12 March 1877, the natives Ramseyer had baptised included Yaw Beeko and his wife, Buruwa, Otieku Kwadwo, Taetta and his wife, Ansaa, Jonathan Kofi Brebo and his wife, Akosua Angyie, Kwabena Gyane and his wife, Ansaa and Osei Yaw. Peter Hall was elected the first Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast from 1918 to 1922. The chapel was christened "Ebenezer" a reference to the Biblical verse in
1 Samuel 7:12,
"how far the Lord has helped us"- an allusion to the pain, suffering and tribulations the Ramseyers had endured in Asante. before permanently returning to his home country, Switzerland, after forty-four years residing on the Gold Coast. Ramseyer perceived his time in captivity as a preparatory period sanctioned by providence, for evangelism in Asante.
Artisan training and industry development Ramseyer provided artisan training to the natives, especially in housing design and building technology that was commonplace in 19th century Switzerland. He trained Papa Mends in carpentry and the latter came to be known as "Carpenter Mends" due to his dexterity. He also trained a native of Antoa, Agya Oduro in carpentry. Many of his converts left their long-grass
thatch roof, bamboo poles and beam huts and moved into the newly designed stone storey houses at the mission station in Adum. Ramseyer earned the nickname "
Osiadan" (meaning the builder), which echoed a similar name given to
Andreas Riis in
Akropong in the 1840s. Ramseyer's handiwork also included the chapels and mission stations at Abetifi, Anum, Kumasi and Kwaso which all have similar architecture. The chapel at Abetifi was modified and is now used as a library by the Abetifi campus of the
Presbyterian University College. The chapel at Kumasi is used by the Ramseyer Memorial Presbyterian Church. The building at Anum is used as an administration block by the Presbyterian Senior High School there while the one at Abetifi is the main administration block for the Ramseyer Training Centre. The building at Kumasi is used as Guest House by the Asante Presbytery of the
Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Ramseyer also acquired lands at Abetifi,
Bompata and Kumasi for the church as a whole which are now used by the
Presbyterian Church of Ghana. The land at Adum, Kumasi now houses various offices and official residential buildings of the church officials such as Presbytery chairmen, regional manager of Presbyterian schools, Presbyterian basic school,
Ramseyer Memorial Presbyterian Church, ministers’ manses and a book depot called
A-Riis Company Limited. Previously, this piece of land was used as a burial ground for outcasts, slaves and criminals and was not fit for human settlement. As the mission station expanded, the site attracted commercial ventures which aided the socio-economic development of the church.
Photography Fritz Ramseyer was also an amateur photographer, taking photographs of the Gold Coast, as early as 1888. He used industrially prepared negative films. A few of the pictures may have been printed on the Gold Coast while a large number was sent to the
Basel Mission in Switzerland for processing. These photographs have been used at numerous lectures and in various academic books, brochures and magazines for the purposes of illustration. Fritz Ramseyer was the author and publisher of the first photography book about the Gold Coast. The book was published in his hometown,
Neuchâtel in 1895 and comprised
"80 views of missionary life, the indigenous culture and local personalities". == Personal life ==