FEATURE
96
Zintgraff returned to Cameroon one more time
in 1896,11 this time accompanied by Max Esser
(1866–1943) and Victor Hoesch. While in Berlin he
had been able to convince them to make large investments
in Cameroon.12 Jesco von Puttkamer (fi g. 19),
the new governor of the colony, generously supported
their plans, and they founded the Westafrikanische
Pfl anzungsgesellschaft Victoria (WAPV), known in
English as the West African Plantation Company in
Victoria (today the coastal city of Limbe). This may
have proven signifi cant to Conrau’s story in his later
efforts to send laborers to the coast.
One of the newly discovered letters that Conrau
wrote to Hassert reveals that he probably also corresponded
with Zintgraff during the latter’s time
in Germany. He appears to have had a closer relationship
with the explorer than just that of an
employee or associate, since he mentions “a number
of letters” he had received and kept from Zintgraff,
whose father he also knew well. Though
CONRAU’S EARLY YEARS IN CAMEROON
In September of 1890, the then twenty-fi ve-yearold
Conrau arrived in Cameroon, which had been
a German colony since 1884, as an employee of the
Hamburg-based fi rm of Jantzen & Thormählen.
He formed an association with Eugen Zintgraff
(fi g. 15), which resulted in their traveling together
on the latter’s penultimate trip to Bali Nyonga in
1891.8 Conrau took over Heinrich Nehber’s position
as the commercial expedition leader shortly
after the latter was killed in a confl ict involving the
Mankon and the Bafut. Zintgraff had been working
with some success to establish a connection
between the coastal region and the Cameroonian
Grasslands. During his famous 1889 expedition,
he also had been the fi rst to reach the Benue River
at Ibi and later the Adamaua highlands.
Due to an initially forced alliance of convenience
with the chief of Bali, Fon Garega I (fi g. 16), the Bali
Nyonga chiefdoms for a time served as the springboard
for further penetration into the Cameroonian
hinterlands. After Barombi Station (fi g. 17) was established
not far north and inland of the port city
of Douala in 1888,9 a second outpost in the interior
was established some 250 kilometers northeast in
late 1889 or early 1890 on a hill near Bali, which
Zintgraff christened “Baliburg” (fi g. 18). There ultimately
were fi ve stations, including Dikumi (Batom
Station) and Nguti (Tinto Station), which were
meant to serve as stopover points on an open route
to the coast.10
Later in 1891, fi erce local resistance caused Zintgraff’s
expedition to fail. Apart from about 6,000
Bali and about 2,000 Bamesson, the foreign invaders
had no signifi cant allies, and these were unreliable
due to ill treatment and were themselves sometimes
a threat. Because the resistance was so strong, Governor
Eugen von Zimmerer and the German Foreign
Affairs Administration ordered that the stations that
had been established during the course of Zintgraff’s
trade development and commercial expeditions
should be shut down one after the other. Zintgraff
had overplayed his political hand and Governor
von Zimmerer withdrew support for him when he
got back to the coast. Forced to return to Germany
for an involuntary sabbatical in 1893 and 1894, he
spent his time there writing about his travels in and
exploration of northern Cameroon, and he made
positive mention of Conrau in these accounts.
FIG. 4 (above):
Commemorative fi gure of
a priestess, known as the
“Bangwa Queen.”
Lebang, Bangwa,
Cameroon. 19th century.
Wood. H: 85 cm.
Collected by Gustav Conrau,
1898–1899.
Ex Ethnological Museum, Staatliche
Museen zu Berlin (formerly the
Königliches Museum für Völkerkunde
zu Berlin); Arthur Speyer, Berlin,
1929–1934; Charles Ratton, Paris,
1934–1935; Helena Rubinstein, New
York and Paris, 1935–1966; Harry
Franklin, Los Angeles, 1966–1990.
Musée Dapper, Paris, inv. 3343.
FIG. 5 (facing page, right):
Buffalo headcrest. Bangwa,
Cameroon. 19th century.
Wood. L: 74 cm.
Collected by Gustav Conrau, 1898
or 1899.
Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin,
inv. III C 10555.
Photo: Martin Franken,
© Ethnologisches Museum der
Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin -
Preußischer Kulturbesitz.