German in West Africa: Implications for German-West African Partnership in Development. Winneba/Ghana: Bea Lundt, Universität Flensburg; in cooperation with Samuel Ntewusu Aniegye and Wazi Apoh, University of Ghana, Legon, 29.09.2011-01.10.2011.

Reviewed by Bea Lundt

Published on H-Soz-u-Kult (November, 2011)

An international conference that dealt explic‐ work in southern Africa has recently culminated itly with the long-term consequences of German in the publication of David Olusoga and Casper colonial rule for developments in contemporary Erichsen’s, David Olusoga and Casper Erichsen’s , West Africa was held at the University of Educa‐ The Kaiser’s Holocaust: ’s forgotten geno‐ tion (UEW) Winneba/Ghana, Thursday 29 Septem‐ cide and the colonial roots of Nazism, London ber to Saturday 1 October 2011. Approximately 50 2010. a publication that has broken through to people attended the conference, where partici‐ popular history and is currently to be found on pants from North America, Cameroon, Germany, sale in the airport departure lounges of airports Ghana, and Holland presented papers, drawn around the globe, from Berlin to Cape Town, and from a wide variety of disciplines ranging from from Amsterdam to New York. In a sense, the history and politics, to archaeology and linguis‐ genocides perpetrated by the forces of Imperial tics. The conference was organised by Bea Lundt, Germany in have become mainstream, (Flensburg/UEW), in cooperation with Samuel and General ’s ‘Vernichtungsbe‐ Ntewusu Aniegye and Wazi Apoh (both Legon). fehl’ (extermination order) a further uncontested The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, example of humankind’s seemingly limitless abili‐ as well as the University of Flensburg funded the ty to infict pain and sufering upon fellow hu‐ conference. mans. In short, Germany’s imperial past in In the last decade the long-term consequences Namibia is now comparatively well known. In ad‐ of German colonial rule in Africa and the world dition, a fair number of people may be aware of as a whole have been becoming evermore appar‐ the fact that Imperial Germany had a colonial role ent. Following on from the early work of histori‐ to play in the history of contemporary , ans like Horst Drechsler and Helmuth Bley in the Togo, and Cameroon. However, it remains the early 1970s, a whole host of historians has sought case that in contrast to Namibia, the history of to deal with the horrors of German colonial rule German colonial involvement on the West African in the former German (present coast is still comparatively understudied. day Namibia) in particular. Horst Drechsler, Let Luis Gann and Duignan devoted a consider‐ Us Die Fighting: The Struggle of the Herero and able amount of their time seeking to detail the in‐ Nama against German Imperialism (1884 – 1915) tricacies and bureaucratic niceties of German (London 1980) & Bley, Helmut, Namibia under colonial rule in Africa, yet in so doing they lost German rule, 1894 – 1914 (London 1971) This sight of the impact and consequences of German H-Net Reviews colonial rule for Africa and its inhabitants. L.H. Germany to cooperate on a more equal basis with Gann, The rulers of German Africa: 1884-1914, developing countries in the present. Indeed, the Stanford 1977. In contrast, Ulrich van der Heyden horrors perpetrated by British and French sol‐ has drawn attention to the long-standing relation‐ diers during Mau Mau and Algiers are still part of ship that exists between Germany - Prussia and living memory. In contrast, the horrors perpetrat‐ Brandenburg in particular - and the West African ed by German great grandfathers in German colo‐ coast, specifcally contemporary Ghana and Togo. nial Africa have largely passed from living memo‐ U. van der Heyden, Rote Adler an Afrikas Küste: ry. However, the mere fact that many German die brandenburgisch-preußische Kolonie diplomats in the present may not be fully aware Großfriedrichsburg in Westafrika, 2. Auf., Berlin of the activities of German government represen‐ 2001. Fellow historian Peter Sebald has spent a tatives in Africa a century ago, need not exculpate lifetime of work detailing the history of German German government representatives in the involvement in Togo. However, the fact that a sub‐ present. The activities of German colonial forces stantial portion of contemporary Ghana was ad‐ in West Africa may have passed from living mem‐ ministered by Imperial Germany remains an un‐ ory, yet, as the conference clearly showed, they known and unconsidered aspect of history. Simi‐ continue to exist in the songs and histories of peo‐ larly the fact that contemporary Cameroon is now ple formerly subject to German colonial rule in split between an Anglophone and a Francophone West Africa. sphere of administration is a long-term conse‐ ALEXANDRA NEHMER and HANNAH LAM‐ quence of German colonial rule and generally not PRECHT, two young students from Berlin, present‐ known. ed some results of their work. As participants of The meeting was formally opened by a num‐ the ASA-programme during three months they ber of speakers in an opening session that was in‐ were actively involved in tracing, collecting, and troduced and chaired by NTEWUSU ANIEGYE documenting the legacy of German colonial rule (Legon). Aniegye noted that there was a renewed in Ghana. Through their activities, coordinated in interest in German colonial rule in Africa and conjunction with Wazi Apoh (Legon) they seek to drew attention to a similar conference organised raise the awareness of Germany’s colonial past, and held in Tamale, Ghana in December 2010. when collecting and documenting colonial arte‐ ROBERT SOBOTTA, Director of the Goethe Insti‐ facts as well as oral histories. The most impressive tute in Accra, mentioned the long-standing links – of these artefacts are of course the buildings origi‐ since Ghanaian independence in 1957 - that exist‐ nally erected by the Germans. ed between Germany and Ghana on a cultural lev‐ BEA LUNDT (Flensburg), the conference con‐ el. Sobotta emphasized the role that the institute venor, drew attention to the work of Dipesh played in seeking to propagate the teaching of the Chakrabarty, and noted that she drew deep inspi‐ to Ghanaian students, and to fa‐ ration from his work, particularly in his attempt cilitate the possible study of these students at aca‐ to counter and reverse the usual fow of academic demic institutions in Germany. discourse, i.e. from the North to the South, the MARIA TEKUELVE (Accra), Counsellor, Em‐ metropole to the periphery and so forth. Dipesh bassy of the Federal Republic of Germany, repre‐ Chakrabarty, Provincializing Europe. Postcolonial sented the German Ambassador. Intriguingly, in thought and Historical Diference (Princeton her speech, Tekuelve suggested that Germany was 2000) dt: Europa als Provinz. Perspektiven lucky to have lost its colonies early in the 20th postkolonialer Geschichtsschreibung, Century, as this made it easier for contemporary am Main/New York 2010; “Invitation to a Dia‐

2 H-Net Reviews logue.” Subaltern Studies: Writings on South mented a breakdown in established social net‐ Asian History and society. Reprint. Vol.IV.Ed. works to the advantage of German administra‐ Guha, Ranajit, New Delhi 2007. It was with this in tors. mind specifcally that she had sought to organise In contrast to many of the presentations, the conference in Africa, with guests drawn from which dealt largely with the physical aspects and Africa. traces of German colonial rule, EDEM ADOTEY The keynote address to the conference was (Legon), dealed with the more ephemeral but provided by DIVINE AMENUNMEY, (Legon). He equally lasting legacy of German rule, specifcally listed a whole series of as yet under-researched in the construction and establishment of a pan- topics and questions relating to German colonial Ewe identity. Similar as Darvlo he argued that the rule, yet unfortunately his presentation failed to unintended consequence of the German colonial deal in any way with the social or cultural conse‐ project in was Ewe ethnic nationalism. quences of German colonial rule. His speech fo‐ WALTER GAM NKWI (Buea/Cameroon), pre‐ cussed solely on the political ’s sented a paper about the attempts by British au‐ presence in Africa. That the German colonial state thorities to “de-Germanise” those parts of western has its direct descendents, in a manner of speak‐ Cameroon that fell under British jurisdiction fol‐ ing, in the people currently living in West Africa lowing World War One. Based on archival re‐ who are the biological descendents of German search Nkwi noted that the drive to rid Cameroon men and African women, was a matter that was of its German legacy led to a loss of efciency in not touched upon by Amenumey. The focus on po‐ the manner in which communication was con‐ litical history obscured the fact that, although Ger‐ ducted in western Cameroon. Thus, Nkwi quoted man colonial rule may have ended, its legacy re‐ British ofcials lamenting the end of the fag post mained in the culture of the societies afected as mail relay runner system, which had been estab‐ well as in the veins of descendents. lished by the Germans and was capable of cover‐ Following a general introduction to German ing 100km in an hour as opposed to the British colonialism in West Africa by ISAAC BRAKO (Win‐ system that could only cover 25km in an hour. neba), KOFI DARVLO, (Legon) presented a paper Nkwi noted that whereas Germany had tried to that looked at and contextualized the presence of establish a unitary Cameroon, the British con‐ German missionaries, traders, and ofcials in sciously sought to purge the western Cameroons Eweland. Based on personal experience, Dorvlo of its German legacy, as well as ensure a separa‐ presented a nuanced history in which the contri‐ tion from the reminder of French administered butions of German linguists to the standardisation Cameroon. However, for all of its attempts at eras‐ of the Ewe language were noted, as well as the ing all traces of Imperial Germany, the British ad‐ fact that in the eyes of the local inhabitants, the ministration never succeeded, even if only be‐ children that had been redeemed from slavers by cause all the buildings used by the British admin‐ the missionaries, were considered to be the slaves istration in Western Cameroon, were those that of the missionaries. had been built and established by Imperial Ger‐ KODZO GAVUA (Legon) also showed that the many. introduction of and related activities Another aspect of Germany’s continued colo‐ to the area by agents of the North German Mis‐ nial presence is to be found in the horticultural sionary Society was a key factor in the success of changes that the Germans sought to bring about the short-lived German rule in the area. Christian‐ in West Africa. In a intriguing paper appropriate‐ ity presented an alternative way of life, which fo‐ ly entitled “Eat Mangos, Plant Cotton and be In‐

3 H-Net Reviews dustrious” CLETUS KWAKU MBOWURA (Legon) in trators. As Apoh noted, when displaying photo‐ seeking to reconstruct German colonial rule in the graphic slides of kitchen mortars, it was in the Nawuri area of Northern Ghana, spoke about the kitchen that the social boundary between white lasting legacy of German rule in the form of Man‐ and black was broken down. As such the rubbish go and other trees planted prior to 1914. In the tip brought forth sawn meat bones which were short discussion that followed, attention was clearly imported, and large amounts of indige‐ drawn to the presence of avenues of trees planted nous palm nut kernels. In addition, a baobab by Germans in all of their administrative centres planted next to the administrative buildings, still in what is now eastern Ghana. Clearly the inheri‐ bore the scars of German target practice, the bul‐ tance of German colonial rule in the form of its let casings of which were found in the excavation. horticultural legacy is an issue that needs to be, Clearly the mix of archaeological and historical and clearly can be, fruitfully explored further. research as carried out by Apoh in eastern Ghana Outstanding in terms of its research, presen‐ bears a lot of promise, and is certain to result in a tation and detail was the joint paper presented by series of fascinating publications. JONATHAN OTTO POHL and FELIX LONGI, both of Equally entertaining was the fascinating mu‐ Legon. They looked at the attempt by Imperial sical performance and presentation of ALHAJI Germany to transform Togo into a major cotton SULEMANA ALHASSAN (Yendi). Whereas Apoh producer, which it was hoped would make Ger‐ noted that the boundary between black and white many less reliant on Indian and American cotton was transcended in the kitchen, he could also production. Although Germany was able to in‐ have said that this boundary was broken, albeit crease cotton production in Togo by a staggering surreptitiously in the bedroom. In December 3.500 % between 1901 – 1909, it was not sufcient 2010, Alhaji, whose grandmother was married to to lessen German dependence on cotton drawn a German, guided a group of academics to Ger‐ from areas beyond Germany’s control. Sadly ab‐ man descendents in Yendi as well as the battle‐ sent though from the paper was an analysis of the feld at Adibo where German soldiers defeated manner in which Germany had been able to bring Dagbon forces in 1896. As a traditional musician about this incredible increase in production. and fddle player, Alhaji has collected numerous Certainly the most visually entertaining and songs relating to the German period. As such he accessible presentation of the conference was that presented two songs before analysing them in of Wazi Apoh, who introduced the archaeological terms of the history of Germany’s presence. search for traces of Germany’s presence in what is The topic of SAMUEL NTEWUSU ANIEGYE today Kpando in eastern Ghana. In the 1890’s Ger‐ (Legon) was the convoluted history of Kete and many took control of the area and established an Krachi, two Guan towns that have fused and are administrative centre, the remains of which now a single metropolis in the eastern region. In formed the feldwork site for Apoh. In collabora‐ particular Aniegye detailed and sketched the ori‐ tion with German ASA students and Ghanaian stu‐ gin and legacy of German presence in the area, as dents, Apoh has successfully twinned his archaeo‐ well as the existence of the Dente shrine. Central logical research results with the oral histories and to this was the sacking of Salaga and the introduc‐ relics collected by the students. Thus, whilst Apoh tion of a German banking system in Kete-Krachi. has sifted through the kitchen remains of a gener‐ A development that suited Hausa traders who ation of German administrators, the students transferred themselves and their households to have located and documented material relics and German territory. At the same time the Dente oral histories that relate to these German adminis‐

4 H-Net Reviews shrine remained, and remains to this day, central ginning of what will be an ever-greater feld of to Kete-Krachi. academic interest. Now that Ghana has success‐ In the fnal paper JAN-BART GEWALD (Lei‐ fully re-established its universities and rekindled den), postulated that the consecutive series of out‐ the desire for knowledge, it is only a matter of breaks of extreme violence that have wracked time that Ghanaian students will be knocking on north eastern Ghana at every election since 1966, the doors of German archives, universities, muse‐ may be directly related to the legacy of German ums, and libraries demanding to be let in to study colonial rule. He argues that the devastation of and learn about their shared history with Ger‐ the established order, the deposition of estab‐ many. lished chiefs and the wholesale deportation of es‐ Conference overview: tablished populations by German military author‐ German Colonialism in West Africa. Implica‐ ities between 1890 and 1914, in the areas of Togo tions for German-West African Partnership in De‐ that have now become part of Ghana, laid the velopment. seeds for the current tension that exists in the Opening Ceremony: Welcoming Statements/ area. In the wake of the established order that Introduction (Chair Dr. Ntewusu Aniegye) was torn down by German colonial rule, chiefs were appointed by the German administration ir‐ a) Yaw Kwasigah (Dean of the Faculty of So‐ respective of ethnicity. These chiefs, who owed cial Science Education, UEW) their allegiance to Germany, were deposed in b) Maria Tekuelve (Counsellor German Em‐ 1919 following British occupation of part of To‐ bassy Accra) goland in 1914. In their stead, Britain attempted c) Robert Sobotta (Director of the Goethe In‐ to appoint chiefs whom they believed were legiti‐ stitute Accra) mate. Following the imposition of indirect rule in d) Alexandra Nehmer, Hannah Lamprecht the early 1920s this situation was compounded by (ASA-Programm, Berlin) the appointment of anthropologists who sought to provide the British colonial administrators with a e) Bea Lundt, University of Flensburg/UEW manner of insight into centralised (thus allegedly (University Flensburg, visiting professor at the more developed societies), and acephalous (thus University of Education Winneba, Conference allegedly less developed societies). It are these de‐ Convener) velopments, in a political dispensation that as‐ Keynote Address by Divine Amenumey cribes an inordinate amount of power to chiefs, (Legon): German Colonialism in Westafrica - an that have led to a never-ending series of claims overview and counter-claims that raise there head at every Session 1: Construction of German Colonial election since the fall of Nkrumah and with disas‐ Rule and Rooms trous results. Chair: Kof Darkwah (Department of Social Stud‐ The last day brought an excursion to Cape ies Education/University of Education, Winneba)/ Coast Castle and Elmina Castle, where the group Bea Lundt (Flensburg/UEW) laid down funeral fowers in the slave dungeons. Isaac Brako and Seth Peter Frempong (De‐ It is patently obvious that an analysis of the role partment of Social Sciences Education, University of German colonial rule in West Africa has only of Education, Winneba): German Colonialism in just begun, and Bea Lundt and her fellow con‐ West Africa: A Legacy of Mixed Results venors are to be commended for having organ‐ Kof Darvlo (Research Fellow Language Cen‐ ised the conference, which clearly marks the be‐ tre University of Ghana, Legon): The contribution

5 H-Net Reviews of German Colonialism to the Development of Region, Ghana): Adebo Dalila: What of the Battle Ghana and Togo of Adibo? Interrogating German Rule in Dagbon Cletus Kwaku Mbowura (Institute of African Edem Adotey (Institute of African Studies, Studies, University of Ghana, Legon): Eat Man‐ University of Ghana, Legon): The Paradox of Colo‐ goes, sell Cotton and be Industrious: Reconstruct‐ nialism- The German Colonial Project. Pan-Ewe ing German Colonial Rule in the Nawuri Area of Identity and Consciousness 1884-1914 Northern Ghana, 1899 to 1914 Flavius Mayoa Mokake & Henry Kam Kah Samuel Nana Abokyi (Institute of African (Department of History, University of Buea, Studies, University of Ghana, Legon): Three Ele‐ Cameroon): The Impact of German Colonial Poli‐ phants in Anufoland: An Analysis of the Impact of cies on Public Health Initiatives in British South‐ German, British and French Presence in Anu‐ ern Cameroon 1884-1961 foland Jan-Bart Gewald (Institute for History and Hu‐ Session 2 : German Colonial Cognitive and manities, University of Leiden Netherlands): Economic Legacies Kaiser Chiefs: The Enduring Legacy and long term Chair: Divine Amenumey (University of Ghana, Consequences of German Colonial Rule in North- Legon) Eastern Ghana Walter Gam Nkwi (Department of History, Excursion Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle University of Buea, Cameroon): Colonial Hege‐ monies at Loggerheads: British De-Germanisation Policy in British Cameroons 1916-1961 Ntewusu Samuel Aniegye (Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana, Legon): Kete-Krachi: A Socio-Religious and Economic History of a Ger‐ man Town In Ghana 1890 to 1994 Jonathan Otto Pohl (Visiting Scholar) and Fe‐ lix Longi (History Department, University of Ghana, Legon): The Relative Failure of German Togoland as a Model Cotton Colony Wazi Apoh (Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana Legon): An Archaeo-Historical Examination of German Colo‐ nial Relics at Kpando-Ghana. Repackaging Derelict Heritages for Sustainable Development Session 3: Enduring Symbolic Systems and Ac‐ tual Problems Chair: Wazi Apoh (Legon) Kodzo Gawua (Department of Archeology and Heritage Studies Legon): The Religious Factors in the Administration of German Togoland Ahaji Sulemana Alhassan (Traditional Musi‐ cian and District Administrator, Yendi, Northern

6 H-Net Reviews

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Citation: Bea Lundt. Review of German Colonialism in West Africa: Implications for German-West African Partnership in Development. H-Soz-u-Kult, H-Net Reviews. November, 2011.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=34747

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