FEATURE
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among the Bangwa, including weapons, baskets,
pipes, masks, and sculptures, which range from
excellent to poor quality. In the time preceding
his encounter with the Bangwa, he also collected
some seventy-fi ve objects among the Bali and in
the forest region from the Banyang, Bafo, and
Basosi, to name just a few, which also went to
Berlin. In Cameroon, Conrau’s name appears in
the Bali and Bangwa oral traditions, in which
he is known as manji-kwali or manjikwara (the
road builder) or as tanjok (elephant).72 Chiefs
were also referred to as “elephant,” “python,” or
“leopard” as honorifi c titles. For his part, Fontem
Assunganyi historically is considered a hero
by the Bangwa people, though there is also an
awareness that he was a complex personality.73
Following Conrau’s death, he went into hiding
for twelve years in remote areas of the bush and
was then sent into exile by the German authority.
He returned to the Bangwa area under British
colonial rule in 1914, where he ruled until his
death in 1951.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The distinction between victims and perpetrators
is not a simple matter in this case. One can be certain,
though, that the nationalistic German narrative
was completely one-sided and absurd. Where
does a “nation” begin on foreign territory and
where does it end? And if that “nation” is based
on an idealistic concept, how can it justify its superiority
when its actions stray so far from it?
Defi nitive peace negotiations did not get underway
until 1903. Assunganyi was deposed as the
paramount chief, the Lebang area was divided in
two, and two new chiefs were appointed. Tinto Station
was moved to Azi, the now German-named
“Fontemdorf.” Assunganyi went into hiding and
let it be known that he had been killed in battle.70
At the end of the fi rst German colonial report
about events in the Bangwa area and Conrau’s
demise, one fi nds the following very revealing
and enlightening sentence: “The newly founded
Northwest Cameroon Company had only recently
hired Conrau to work for them and had offered
him very generous and advantageous conditions
of employment.”71
In the end, Conrau is best remembered for the
Cameroon objects he collected, seventy-one in all