[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Zimmerman's work built upon the single introductory grammatical treatise written by the Euro-African Moravian missionary and educator, Christian Jacob Protten, in the Ga and Fante languages, and published a century earlier in Copenhagen, in 1764.

While he did his farewell speech, he was often interrupted by the sobbing of the parish, and when he spoke to the persons of his age and former mates, then even the tough, rough farm youth cried like children.

Choosing a more unorthodox alternative for a European missionary at the time, he sought treatment at the shrine of a native healer or shaman.

[1][2] After the 1854 bombardment of Christiansborg by the H. M. S. Scourge, following the riots against the British poll tax ordinance, Zimmermann was forced to move with his family, his students, and some members of the Christian community to the more interior Abokobi, about 15 miles (24 kilometres) from Accra, where, with the assistance of another missionary, August Steinhauser, he set up a small Christian community—a step from the European characterized lifestyle to the original African life.

In 1857, under the guidance of Zimmermann, a local fetish priest at Abokobi, Paulo Mohenu converted to Christianity which was considered a great achievement at the time.

[1][2] He also had dreams of building a German community as a way to solve the social problems of Germany by emigration to Africa to farm on the vast swathes of virgin or fallow lands at Abokobi.

C. W. Locher traveled as far as Odumase in the state of Krobo, 50 miles (80 km) northeast of the Ghanaian capital, Accra, where they were warmly welcomed by the paramount chief, Odonkor Azu, who entrusted one of his sons, Tei, to them to be educated and brought up as a Christian.

[2] His plans included setting up a Euro-African settlement to “maximize utilization of mineral resources, progressive agriculture, increasing export of goods, to improve people's living conditions.”[1][2] He noted that in spite of demographic and linguistic differences, rural German and the traditional Gold Coast cultures were analogous with regards to communal lifestyles, farming and craftsmanship, adding that "Africa needs Germans.

We are a continental people who traditionally earn a living by farming and the old crafts"[27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35] Johannes Zimmermann built his mission house in the village of Odumase, the hub of the Kingdom Manya-Krobo where he saw himself as an "ambassador of Jesus".

As a sign of his friendship with Zimmermann, the Krobo paramount chief instructed his subjects to carve a stool from a special piece of wood.

[2] Missionary Bohner recounted in his diary after a visit to Rebmann in Odumase, Kroboland: "He has put up his house ... into the middle of the [natives'] village ...

But the white coating from muschelkalk, the dark-brown shutters from solid wood of the African oak, the light glass windows and the galleries around the building tell someone who lives here.

[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] In his work in education at Christiansborg, both in the catechist seminary as well as in the boys' school, he emphasised the teaching of the vernacular, Ga language.

[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Within the Christian ministry and catechism, he translated the Bible and 500 hymns (300 of which were his own compositions) into the Gã language, and also penned several poems.

[1][2] Furthermore, his own children and youngest brother, Christoph also married African spouses, indicating that his family was acclimated to the indigenous environment.

[2][3] Shortly after this, he fell ill again, and returned to his hometown, Gerlingen with his wife, Catherine via Basel in September 1876, where he died at the end of the same year, on 13 of December 1876 at the age of fifty-one.

Albert L. Kwansa visited Gerlingen to search for information about background, youth and surrounding of the missionary Johannes Zimmermann, who in nowadays Ghana very much honoured in the oral tradition of Kroboland's history.

[2] Later on in his retirement, Mayor Eberhard stated, "It is unbelievable how people in Ghana talk nowadays still full of respect and gratitude to Johannes Zimmermann and his beneficial life's work.

In 1989, Nene Azzu Mate Kole II invited the then Mayor of Gerlingen, Sellner together with a delegation to his golden jubilee celebration of enstoolment and ascension to the throne in Ghana.