[4][5] He was born in Altwis in 1803, the son of peasants Joseph Hartmann and his wife Barbara Nietlisbach and baptised on the day after his birth in the local parish.

After ordination, he worked as a chaplain in Luzern, then as novice master and teacher of theology at Fribourg until 1830.

After five months, he was reassigned to head the mission station in the town of Gwalior, in what is now Madhya Pradesh.

made him the Vicar Apostolic of Patna[8] and Titular Bishop of Derbe, with episcopal ordination at Akbar's Church on 15 March 1846 by the local Apostolic Vicar Alessandro Borghi (bishop),[9] Hartmanns bishopric consisted of seven parishes that were supervised by four priests.

[10] Hartmann died on 24 April 1866 in his residence at St. Joseph's Orphanage at Kurji,(near Patna),[11] from cholera .