Germans in India
 File:Dia Mirza.JPG | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
| Chennai · Kolkata · New Delhi | |
| Languages | |
| German · English · Indian languages | |
| Religion | |
| Christianity · Hinduism · Judaism · Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| German people |
There is a small community of Germans in India consisting largely of expatriate professionals from Germany and their families as well as international students at Indian universities.
History
Early immigration
The first Germans to arrive in India were missionaries. Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, sent by Frederick IV of Denmark, came to eastern India for the propagation of the Gospel in the early 1700s. He along with Heinrich Plütschau became the first Protestant missionaries to India when they arrived at Tranquebar on July 9, 1706.[1] In the late 1800s V. Nagel came to the Malabar Coast. He learned the Malayalam language and wrote several hymns.[2] Hermann Gundert (1814-1893) also worked as a missionary scholar in Malayalam-speaking areas, where he translated the Bible into Malayalam. He also prepared a grammar of Malayalam and a bilingual dictionary and established two periodicals in Malayalam.
Modern Era
In recent years, many German expatriates have either permanently moved or established long-term residence in India. Today, German expatriates have a strong presence in India mainly in the mining and heavy engineering sector. The availability of skill the importance of intellectual property rights is well established in India at all levels – statutory, administrative and judicial. Therefore, doing business in India in comparison to china is considered safe bet by some Germans whether in small and medium scale industries that want to go global.[3]
Chennai has a significant German community of around 8,000 people and they have integrated well with the local population and they mainly work in the Software, Information Technology, Automobile, Leather Traders, Students and Food Production Industries. IIT Madras, University of Madras, SRM University and Anna University have significant numbers of German students and teachers. IIT Madras was also built with German assistance.[4] [Dead Link]
Notable people
- Jacqueline Bhabha - Attorney and lecturer in law at Harvard Law School
- Anita Desai - Indian novelist
- Kiran Desai - Indian author
- Hermann Gundert - Missionary, scholar and linguist
- Dia Mirza - Indian model and actress
- Suzanne Bernert - Actress in Bollywood films and television serials.
- Claudia Ciesla - Actress in Bollywood films
- V. Nagel - German missionary in Malabar
- Sister Mary Prema - Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity of Calcutta
- Evelyn Sharma - Actress in Bollywood
- Ferdinand Kittel - Priest and Indologist.
- Peter Kronschnabl - current President and Country Head of BMW India
- Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg - German missionary in Tranquebar
See also
References
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