Asseng and Ahok, both born on the Pearl River Delta in the 1790s, were the first Chinese to reside in Germany on a long-term basis. Since their arrival in Hamburg in late 1821, they were shown around by a Dutch merchant and exhibited publicly for money. Although they were only two comparatively insignificant individuals and a human exhibition was considered degrading by the standards of the time, the two Chinese were able to attract the attention of the learned public in Germany and came into personal contact with renowned figures such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, numerous German scientists, including Johann Friedrich Blumenbach, and the Prussian kings. Prussian King Frederick William III, who seemed to have some interest in the two Chinese, had them learn Christian doctrines and be ceremonially baptized in Halle. Afterwards, the two converts were employed first in Sanssouci as gardeners and then at the royal court as footmen. One of the Chinese died of old age in Potsdam, while the other managed not only to leave Prussia but also to complete a circumnavigation of the world. The family letters of the latter reveal the figure of an inveterate adventurer and tireless globetrotter.

Dr. X. Jiang was born in China in 1992. in 2022, he received his doctorate summa cum laude in linguistics from Freie Universität Berlin. His main research is the history of languages and linguistics including the history of Chinese studies in Germany. He is currently teaching at Nanjing University in China.

Translated with DeepL