Provenance research on the “Second Inner-Africa Expedition”
The Weltkulturen Museum is currently preparing a research project on the collection from the “Second Inner-Africa Expedition” (1910/11). This collection comprises more than 1,300 cultural belongings from Central Africa. These include everyday objects such as baskets, bags and stools, as well as jewellery, ritual objects and gifts from sultans. The pieces come primarily from the area of present-day Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The “Inner-Africa Expedition” was funded by the cities of Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin. The founder of the “Städtisches Völkermuseum”, Bernhard Hagen, sought money and support from the citizens of Frankfurt. The expedition was led by Duke August Friedrich of Mecklenburg (1873–1969), who later became Governor of Togo. During the colonial era, the term ‘expedition’ referred not only to scientific research voyages but also frequently to military ventures aimed at conquering territory. These were often associated with violence, looting and the demonstration of colonial power. There is much to suggest that this also applies to the Mecklenburg expeditions. Most of the participants were – like the Duke himself – aristocratic (former) military officers, including retired First Lieutenant Arnold Schulze, as well as Walter von Wiese and Kaiserswaldau.
As part of a long-term project, the Weltkulturen Museum aims to conduct a comprehensive examination of the collection and analyse its historical and academic contexts. The focus is on questions regarding the origin of the cultural belongings, their local significance, and the role and perception of the expedition and the participants in the African countries. The project also aims to critically examine the impact of colonial contexts of violence. A central aim of the project is close collaboration with researchers, institutions and communities in Central Africa.
In addition to cultural belongings, natural science items such as plants, hunted animals and rock samples were also collected during the ‘expedition’, and numerous photographs were taken. These materials are now held, amongst others, at the Senckenberg Natural History Museum in Frankfurt, the Berlin Botanical Garden, the MARKK in Hamburg (photograph collection) and other museums. The project will therefore also seek targeted collaboration with various German institutions.
