The Rev. Johann Georg Herwig, son of teacher Conrad H. Herwig and Elisabeth (surname unknown), was born in Aue near Eschwege (Germany) on 11 July 1714 and died in Norka on 29 April 1782. He married in Willershausen, Hessen (Germany) on 12 February 1742 to Sophie Elisabeth Stippus. She was born in Willershausen (Germany) on 29 October 1710.
He started his theological studies on 25 September 1736 at the seminary in Marburg. From 1741 to 1756, he served as pastor in Willershausen near Herleshausen.
He resigned his position there and it is not known what he did before immigrating to Russia.
Pastor Herwig arrived from Lübeck at the port of Oranienbaum as a single man on 12 September 1766 aboard an English frigate under the command of Skipper Adam Beerfeier.
Reformed pastor Johann Herwig is recorded on the list of colonists being transported from St. Petersburg to Saratov in 1767.
He became the pastor of the Reformed congregation in Katharinenstadt in 1768 where he served until 1769. In 1769, he became pastor of the Norka parish. He served there until his death in 1782. He also simultaneously served the colony of Messer from 1770 to 1778.
- Herwig Johann Georg (wolgadeutsche.ru) [Online]
- Pleve, Igor. Lists of Colonists to Russia in 1766: Reports by Ivan Kulberg (Saratov: Saratov State Technical University, 2010): #4477.
- Rauschenbach, Georg. Deutsche Kolonisten auf dem Weg von St. Petersburg nach Saratow: Transportlisten von 1766-1767 (Moscow: G.V. Rauschenbach, 2017): #4502.
- Schnurr, Joseph. Die Kirchen und das religiöse Leben der Russlanddeutschen – Evangelischer Teil (Stuttgart: AER Verlag Landsmannschaft der Deutschen aus Rußland, 1978): 143.