À partir de XIXᵉ siècle
South West Africa
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The German South West Africa Company was a chartered colonial company created to acquire and administer German interests in South West Africa. Founded on 30 April 1885, it purchased Adolf Lüderitz’s landholdings and received extensive rights over mining, infrastructure, and trade across the territory. Its undercapitalization and inability to generate profits prevented it from fulfilling the administrative role envisioned by Bismarck, contributing to the shift toward stronger direct German state involvement.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
In 1885 Adolf Lüderitz, unable to make a profit from his Namibian holdings, sold them to the Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwestafrika, also known as the German South West Africa Company. The company was founded on 30 April with the support of leading German businessmen. Its creation offered the German government a means of extending authority without immediately bearing the full financial cost of colonial administration.
The company received exceptionally broad concessions. They included prospecting and mining rights for the entire territory, exclusive rights to construct railways, roads, harbours, and canals, and authority to control trade in its areas. The arrangement was intended to allow the company eventually to accept a charter for administering South West Africa, thereby avoiding a direct request to the Reichstag for colonial funds.
The plan failed almost from the beginning. The company was undercapitalized and could not quickly generate profit, while the apparent discovery of gold in 1887 proved to be a hoax. The German government consequently increased direct funding, and the company’s failure helped end the realistic prospect of chartered-company government. German colonial power thereafter depended increasingly on state troops and officials.
À partir de XIXᵉ siècle
South West Africa
Traduction non disponible · Original (anglais) · français indisponible
The German South West Africa Company was a chartered colonial company created to acquire and administer German interests in South West Africa. Founded on 30 April 1885, it purchased Adolf Lüderitz’s landholdings and received extensive rights over mining, infrastructure, and trade across the territory. Its undercapitalization and inability to generate profits prevented it from fulfilling the administrative role envisioned by Bismarck, contributing to the shift toward stronger direct German state involvement.
Poursuivre l’exploration
Le récit
In 1885 Adolf Lüderitz, unable to make a profit from his Namibian holdings, sold them to the Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwestafrika, also known as the German South West Africa Company. The company was founded on 30 April with the support of leading German businessmen. Its creation offered the German government a means of extending authority without immediately bearing the full financial cost of colonial administration.
The company received exceptionally broad concessions. They included prospecting and mining rights for the entire territory, exclusive rights to construct railways, roads, harbours, and canals, and authority to control trade in its areas. The arrangement was intended to allow the company eventually to accept a charter for administering South West Africa, thereby avoiding a direct request to the Reichstag for colonial funds.
The plan failed almost from the beginning. The company was undercapitalized and could not quickly generate profit, while the apparent discovery of gold in 1887 proved to be a hoax. The German government consequently increased direct funding, and the company’s failure helped end the realistic prospect of chartered-company government. German colonial power thereafter depended increasingly on state troops and officials.
Continuer le voyage
D’autres chemins liés à cette histoire.