& » C C 4 The naval observatory in Tsingtai (Qingdao), 1897-1914 German background and influence by Gerimtd KORTtfft* Abstract China’s coast. They may be regarded as a nucleus for the development of Qingdao as a marine science centre. In 1998 and 1999, the From 1897 to 1914 the Q ingdao area (i.e. the Tsingtau Centenary Exhibition was organized location of the present city itself and the Bay in Berlin, Wilhelmshaven and Kiel. of Kiautschou) was occupied by Germany as a stronghold for the Imperial German Navy in the western Pacific. One major reason was to The Tsingtau Centenary protect G erm an com m ercial interests in the Exhibition in Berlin Far East. Tsingtau (the German name for Qingdao) was not a colony, but a protectorate under a 99-year lease treaty with China. The One hundred years after the acquisition of the port and city ot Tsingtau developed rapidly Kiautschou Territory as a naval base and com­ during the 17 years under direct administra­ mercial outpost ot Germany m China, the tion by the Navy D epartm ent in Berlin. Museum of German History (Deutsches His- D ocking facilities and coal supply were avail­ torisches Museum) arranged an exhibition in able for the Far East cruises and commercial the ‘Zeughaus’ (arsenal) in Berlin from March vessels. Many buildings from the time of the to July 1998 to commemorate an almost for­ Germ an occupation are still standing today. gotten period of German colonial history. As The navy established an observatory; which is probably known by those who are interest­ today still overlooks dow ntow n Qingdao, to ed in German history, tins country was rather serve the navy and m erchant fleets. Its mission late to enter the dub ot colonial and imperi­ was to collect and evaluate local geophysical alistic powers with global naval ambitions. Bis­ data (meteorology, geodesy, rides, magnetism marck. the first Chancellor of the newly and seismics). These were the first scientific formed Reich (187 1 '¡.was reluctant to support activities to be carried out in that part of the interests of German overseas trade compa­ nies and individual adventurers in Africa and and has numerous illustrations covering both elsewhere. However, after his dismissal by the German and the Chinese sides of the pic­ Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1890, there was a change ture and taking into account the development in politics, and Germany demanded its proper o f Tsingtau after the Germans left. share (‘Platz an der Sonne’ or ‘place in the [Editors’ note: See images in the article on sun’). At the same time, a strong ocean-going ocean science and technology in Qingdao, starting on navy was conceived and developed under p. 465.] Admiral Tirpitz, which proved to be an affront The German outpost on the Chinese to the sea power supremacy of the British. As coast never became a German ‘Hong Kong or a consequence of the rapid industrial growth Macao'.The development of Tsingtau - in its and expansion of its overseas trade, Germany military and commercial as well as administra­ emerged as one of the world powers prior to tive aspects - is well covered in special chap­ the First World War. However, subsequently ters of some more general German colonial two world wars and the colonies in Africa and and naval history books (Graudenz and in the West Pacific were lost, the country’s sea Schindler, 1982; Hinz and Lind, 1998; Wegen­ power visions disappeared after 1919 and er, 1910; and Schranieier, 1915). O f special memories of old colonial ambitions faded importance are some monographs of Berlin away over the decades. geographers, who were involved in the estab­ The Berlin exhibition ‘Tsingtau - A lishment or running of the‘Institut und Muse­ Chapter of German Colonial History in um fur Meereskunde' (marine science institute China, 1897—1914’ was well received by the and museum) at Berlin University general public and generated a new discussion (Richthofen. 1898 [sic]); Penck. 1911; see about naval and colonial German interests in photo, p. 234). Furthermore, administration China a century ago. This is to be seen par­ means paperwork and reporting, therefore an ticularly against a new background of modern abundance of documents and tiles still exist in commercial, scientific and cultural exchanges German archives. It would constitute a worth­ and cooperation. The content of this exhibi­ while challenge to study them in detail. Onlv tion can be consulted in considerable detail on a limited number ot these sources were tapped the Internet (www.dhni.de). Furthermore. tor the Berlin exhibition. H.M. Hinz and C. Lund edited an excellent Today Qingdao has about 2.3 million publication (1998) for this event, covering (in inhabitants, is one ot China's flourishing sea­ 26 papers) all aspects related to the 17 years ot ports and is marked by a modern high-rise Germ an rule in the Kiautschou Bay area. The skyline. Nonetheless, upon closelv observing subjects ranged from political, commercial, the harbour, railway installations, public build­ naval and administrative affairs to cultural ings (such as churches, hospitals and schools), interaction m the settlement and its Shantung some older administrative buildings as well as Peninsula hinterland; included are background the German-style architecture of manv villas papers of a more general scope. This catalogue in modern downtown Qingdao, one can dis­ publication is a basic source ot information tinguish traces of the 17 years of German colonial past. The local population is largely aware of this phenomenon, as Yan Lijn (director of the Qingdao Historical Muse­ um) stated in his contribution to the Berlin Exhibition publication and as most visitors to modern Qingdao probably realize. Chinas First Institute of Oceanography (FIO) is located here, as well as the Ocean University7 of Qingdao ¡later renamed Ocean Fig. 1. C ruiser Princess Wilhelm University of China, see article by Yao, p. 46 5 in (Source: Imp: kiuseriiche-tnarinc.de j this volume. j effect, higher education in Qingdao got its start on 25 October 1909 in a joint German-Chinese ‘Hochschule’ (institu­ tion of higher education).This institution was funded by the German Reich, supported by the Chinese Government and had all the priv­ ileges of an Imperial Chinese University' (Graudenz and Schindler, 1982, p. 307). It included a branch for natural sciences. When the Germans occupied Qingdao on Sunday, 14 November 1897 - with a sur­ Fig. 2. G erm an Nfaval O bservatory on G overn­ m ent Hill in Tsmgtau/'Qingdao (1897-1914) prise invasion by a detachment of German ( o r c lu iv / fM , K i d > marines (30 officers and 687 men from the cruisers Kaiser, Princess IVilhehn [Fig. t| and made to the murder of three German mis­ Cormoran) there wrere only a few buildings sionaries in Shantung on 1 November of grouped around a Chinese fort at the that year. There were orders troni the Kaiser entrance to Kiautschou Bay ¡today fuiozhou, in Berlin to take the area as bail against see Plate I, color section). At that time, Tsmgtau future compensation. This was, however, was the name of a mere fishing village. Not only a pretext, if one considers the histori­ a shot was tired and, according to reports of cal events leading up to the occupation. several tit the officers involved, evervthing It was indeed quite easv to establish an went smoothly as planned, at least for the outpost in that era of gunboat diplomacv. Germans. The local Chinese commander provided other colonial power'; did not had to give up and evacuate Tsmgtau with interfere. But there was almost nothing of his small force three hours after an ultima­ value there except the excellent geographi­ tum was delivered by Vice-Adm iral von cal location. Everything that developed Piederichs. At 2:30 p.m. that day the Ger­ there over the next I7 vears. including the man flag was hoisted in a cerem ony pro­ Naval Observatory, was ot German origin claiming the occupation, with a reference (Fig. 2j. Today Qingdao seems to be aware of this historical heritage and wishes to pre­ serve it. One can observe much more than old colonial buildings, ‘Tsingtao’ Beer and the equally famous Laoshan mineral water. Noteworthy examples of the heritage are: the railway system, public utilities, port facilities and Qingdao’s fame as the best summer seaside resort to be found in that part of Asia. [See Figs. 3 and 4.] T he G er­ mans were at the root of the latter aspect through the transfer of their holiday habits from the Baltic and North Seas to the Pacific Rim. Tsingtau’s beach hotels attracted a large number of Europeans who happened to be in China, as well as foreign embassy diplomats who were stationed in Peking. The local climate was one reason, German tidiness another, it was said. One century after the German occu­ Fig. 3.&4. Scenes on old postcards, contempo­ pation and only two months after the rary to the occupation period. (Source: wmi'.cpUect.at/Po$tciirii<_Jrom^Qin$dao.lwn) Tsingtau colonial exhibition in Berlin, Qingdao - with its short but proud record in maritime activities and marine research Richthofen: promoter of - was chosen as the venue for the Sixth the Tsingtau settlement International Congress on the History of and Berlin's oceanographic Oceanography (ICHOVI). This outstand­ museum ing event gave rise to the present publica­ tion. Finally, a logical contribution from German contributions to Pacific scientific Germany would be to seek to establish research date back to m ore than 2on vears links to oceanographic history, not as an ago (Kortutn. 2002) and the country's com­ excuse for depriving China of sovereign mercial interests in China also can be traced rights three generations ago.