In an attempt to Christianise the indigenous population, French missionaries travelled to the American South. There, communication was difficult and sometimes unsuccessful. The numerous reports circulating in Europe about these encounters testify to the challenges the missionaries faced in terms of their self-image. For the magazine Forschung Frankfurt of Goethe University, Xenia von Tippelskirch, a researcher affiliated with the POLY Research Group, has written an article about her ongoing research. The text can be downloaded here (in German).