Misahöhe – An artistic search for traces of German colonial rule in Togo – Germany | Togo
Themed tours
Gregor Kasper and Musquiqui Chihying, 2024
Missahoé is a hilly region near the town of Kpalimé in Togo, which offers a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside from an elevated vantage point. Its strategic geographical location made it an attractive location for the German colonial troops who set up their facilities here during the colonial period.
The name “Missahoé” goes back to the German colonial official and Imperial Commissioner of Togo, Jesko von Puttkamer, who named the place “Misahöhe” in honor of his beloved Mária “Misa” Esterházy de Galántha (1859-1926). This name is just a remnant of colonial history; consciously or unconsciously, the past of colonial occupation has become deeply interwoven with the everyday life of the inhabitants.
In recent years, we have collaborated with villagers, researchers, artists and filmmakers, organized discussions and workshops, and produced both documentary and fiction films. In this collaborative work, we explore the almost forgotten history and try to rethink the contemporary in relation to the colonial legacy. This article provides insights into this work.
Special Thanks:
We would especially like to thank: Edem Akuété, Patrick Atakpa Ayele-Yawou, Koukou Azamede, Togui Tsally XI and the people of Agomé-Yoh, Kuma Konda and Agomé-Tomegbe, with whom we have worked over the past few years. Without all of them, we would not have been able to carry out our research.
We would also like to thank the Dekoloniale team – especially Mirja Memmen and Christian Kopp – for their support.
Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of the NEUSTART KULTUR program.
References:
Sebald, Peter: Togo 1884–1914. Eine Geschichte der deutschen „Musterkolonie“ auf der Grundlage amtlicher Quellen, 1988.
Simtaro, Dadja Halla-Kawa: Le Togo, "Musterkolonie". Souvenir de L'Allemagne dans la société togolaise, 1983.
Trierenberg, Georg: Togo, die Aufrichtung der deutschen Schutzherrschaft und die Erschließung des Landes, 1914.
Stationen
Togbui Tchali XI on colonial history
Misahöhe - today
The Black Misa
The German cemetery
Medicine and Colonialism
Anonymous mass graves
The “torture stake”
The “execution tree”
Togbui Tchali X. about the “Fée”
“German mango trees”
The Gustav Nachtigal School
Working with the German Colonial Archives
The Guestbook: From Misahöhe to the Berlin State Library and back
Visions of the future