Wooden bridge made by Johannes Kootz, Nyasa, Tanzania, ca.1898-1914

"Fussgänger-Brücke von Br. Kootz auf die Stämme eines Baumes gelegt. Br. Stolz u. s. Sohn." ("Missionary Johannes Kootz's bridge for pedestrians laid out on the branches of a big tree. Br[other] Stolz a[nd] h[is] son."). Adolf Stolz is to be seen in the center together with his son while Missionary Kootz is sitting on a wooden bridge leading across a river over trees. An African man sitting on a tree trunk to the left. One photo included from the box of duplicates. -- Johannes Kootz (1869 -1918) was a missionary of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine. As a young recruit with Meyer he built up 1894 Rutenganio and Ipyana station, 1895 Utengule station. Here he served as an assistant to Missionary Richard in Utengule from 1895 to 1897. In 1897 till 1915, with a vacation from 1903-1906, he was head (Vorsteher) of the station. In 1894 he married Elise, née Kretschmer (1870 -1946). Together with his wife Elise Kootz-Kretschmer and Msaturwa Mwachitete he assembled much material concerning the Safwa. She continued the academic work concerning the Safwa after returning to Germany. See her publications: "Die Safwa. Ein ostafrikanischer Volksstamm in seinem Leben und Denken", Berlin 1926, 1929 "Großmutter Narwimba. Was sie erlebte und was sie erlitt", Herrnhut 1925 "Abriß einer Landesgeschichte von Usafwa in Ostafrika", in: Koloniale Rundschau 1929 "Tatu, das geraubte Muwembakind", Herrnhut 1933 "Sichyajunga. Ein Leben in Unruhe", Herrnhut 1938. -- Adolf Ferdinand Stolz (1871-1917) was a mission trader of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine in Ipanya from 1898 to 1902 and in Kyimbila from 1903 to 1914. He was responsible for the plantations in Kyimbila and Rutenganio. In 1898 he married Helene Elisabeth, née Kootz (1872-1899), in 1903 Anna, née Schulze.