Private Realms

by Oliver Eisenberg

At first glance, many pictures taken in the colonial period the German colonial endeavour seemed to promise a perfect idyll. Exotic lands, climate and people as well as glorious prospects for the German Empire. At least to the ignoramus. And no doubt to many Germans this could have been the truth, wouldn't there be subliminal signs of violence. And in fact, those were not so subliminal. Though, for those signs to be recognized they have to be communicated. And therefore the analysis of colonial imagery is of the utmost importance. In this instance "Private Realms" of the colonial masters (or pictures of them) appear to be especially peaceful and civilized. Often the desire to bring civilisation to the African continent and it's many peoples was uttered by European colonists, just to be perverted and the residents reduced to full submission.

As for the analysis, the first problem is to find adequate material regarding photographies of colonial masters. Of the thousands of pictures that were taken, only a fragment shows Europeans. But that doesn't mean that there are just a few. Some of the most lucrative collections regarding the German colonies are those of colonial officers and others in Dar es Salaam: Woeckner, Franz Friedrich Wolf(f ?), Kurt von Schleinitz and Carl Vincenti. The most prominent of these undoubtedly is Kurt von Schleinitz, who has been the commanding officer for the "Schutztruppe" in former German East Africa since 1907, and later ascended to Major General. If I'm not mistaken, Franz Friedrich Wolf(f ?) could have been a Prussian Lieutenant general, but this information is not certain.

Carl Vincenti owned a photographer's studio in Dar es Salaam.[1] Sadly I didn't find any information on Woeckner whatsoever, although I have already seen one of his pictures beforehand.

The photograph shown here (Schleinitz 003-1044b-04, black and white, German East Africa [?], between 1907 and 1914) depicts a copious picnic scene. Focus and priority lie on the foreground and middle ground. There we see a picnic blanket, seat cushions, teacups, some sort of sandwiches or cake and three bottles of (what appears to be) whine. Indulging in eating, smoking and conversation five adult persons (three women and two men) are sitting on middle ground, while a sixth person presumably a child or young adolescent (girl) is standing behind them. The couple on the right is sitting back to back in an almost artistic way. Two of the women are looking directly into the lens. All of them are wearing very fine white colored clothes.

All in all the scene appears to be very harmonic. One could even argue that it would remind them of the last supper - to a certain extent (postures). The harmonic theme of the foreground and middle ground stands in stark contrast to the background - which is wild nature (trees and bushes). Due to technical reasons the background is out of focus.

But there is something strange happening on the verge between middle ground and background. A seventh person is standing right beside or slightly behind the girl. And although it seems, as if the both of them were in the same focal plane, the seventh person is way out of focus. This may occur because of her moving or several other reasons. I am not even suggesting this was done on purpose. But what is interesting about this is, that the person is almost standing at the centre of the photograph. Although she is the person at the centre, she is the one and only person totally out of focus and undistinguishable. She is black. She is a servant girl. She appears to be even younger than the white girl. Her clothes are distinguishably less fine, less bright/white coloured. On the black and white photograph her dress seems like a tone of grey. She merges with the colours of the background. She is background. Metaphorically speaking, this little servant girl is depicting what is wrong with the whole picture or idea of colonial rule.

Although African people from all different provenance are and were at the centre of it they were out of focus and disrespected as such. The focus lay on the Europeans, in this case the Germans. "Africans" were nameless and were only respected through their function. Only then would they not be nameless when they were personal servants.

What Germans (in their disrespect) thought of the work ethics of "Africans" back then was quite vividly described by authors like Frieda von Bülow (commonly known as the originator of the German colonial novel): "Sie haben nicht die Spur von einer Idee, was Arbeiten ist. Keine Willenskraft! Keine Knochen in der Seele! Keinen Ehrgeiz!" [Sie sind und bleiben eben] "verweichlichte Kinder des Äquators". ["They have no slightest idea what working actually means. No force of will! No bones in their soul [sic]! No ambition!" They are and always will be "softened children of the equator".] Furthermore: "Die Prügel sind ihnen gesund, gelegentlich sehr nötig, [...]." ["Beating/lashing is good for their health, occasionally a necessity.[...][sic]." [2] Those who would condemn such practices were said to be enemies of the colonial idea or were ignorant to the colonial reality.

http://www.ub.bildarchiv-dkg.uni-frankfurt.de CD/3317/2014/0619/3317_2014_0619_0065

*[1] Aas, Norbert; Rosenke, Werena: Kolonialgeschichte im Familienbaum, Frühe Fotos aus der Kolonie Deutsch-Ostafrika, Münster 1992, S. 7-8. *[2] ibid. :S. 80-81