Test a transistor with a multimeter
Instead I can read about ~1.2V

That makes perfect sense as the TIP130 is a Darlington transistor.

It has an internal schematic like:



Note how between base and emitter there are actually two BE junctions in series, added up those two would have a forward voltage of around 1.2 V.

Also note the additional diode between collector and emitter, it is only present in some Darlington transistors. Most "single" bipolar transistors don't have this diode.

Bonus sidenote:

Why does this type of transistor exist?

Because is has a very high current amplification! A single transistor will usually have a current amplification (beta) of around a factor 100 to 500. But power transistors needed to control large currents (1 A or more) often have quite a low beta, often less than 30. Now by adding a (low power but high beta) transistor we can multiply the betas so we get a beta of (for the TIP130) of between 500 and 15000. So a lot less current is needed to control a large current.