Traces of German colonialism in China and Samoa – China | Samoa | Germany
City Tours
Charlotte Ming, 2024
This tour uncovers colonial street names like Kiautschoustraße, Pekingerplatz, and Samoastraße in Berlin-Wedding, tracing the legacy of German colonialism in Qingdao, Beijing, and Apia.
Although short-lived and largely confined, German colonial ambition in China had a profound impact. It hastened the downfall of the Chinese Empire and sparked a student movement that changed China’s trajectory.
The aftermath of the Eight Allied Nations’ suppression of the Yihetuan Movement (1900-1901) also remains tangible in German museums, where a considerable number of valuable artefacts looted from China are housed.
This tour will also explore the interconnectedness between Germany’s spheres of influence in China and Samoa, delving into the exploitation of natural resources and cheap labor that fueled German capitalist gains.
References:
Steinmetz, George: The Devil’s Handwriting: Precoloniality and the German Colonial State in Qingdao, Samoa, and Southwest Africa, 2007.
Fenby, Jonathan: The Siege of Tsingtao, 2014.
Meleisea, Malama / Schoeffel, Penelope: Germany in Samoa: Before and After Colonisation. From the book: The Cultural Legacy of German Colonial Rule edited by Klaus Mühlhahn.
Zhu, Jianjun: Colonial Experience and Modern Chinese Nationalism: German Qingdao, 1897-1914 (monograph), 2010.
Leverenz, Niklas: From Berlin to Beijing, F.W.K. Müller and the Acquisition of Chinese Art in 1901, in: Monumenta Serica, Journal of Oriental Studies, 2008, pp 446-506.
Wu, Shellen: The Search for Coal in the Age of Empires - Ferdinand von Richthofen’s Odyssey in China, 1860-1920, in: The American Historical Review. 2004, pp. 339-363.
Kocvar, Jan: Germany and the Boxer Uprising, in: West Bohemian Historical Review. 2015, pp. 121-167.
Droessler, Holger: How Chinese Migrant Workers Resisted Coconut Colonialism in Samoa, Pacific Journal, T. A. (n.d.)., 2022, URL: https://apjjf.org/2022/17/Droessler.html (last accessed 3.6.2024).
Yijie, Zhu / Leutner, Mechthild: Nicht nur Kiautschou: eine (fast) vergessene Geschichte. Goethe-Institut, Zeitgeister. Das Institut des Goethe Journals, 2019, URL https://www.goethe.de/prj/zei/de/pos/21750527.html (last accessed 3.6.2024).
Ming, Charlotte Ye: Why German museums are scouring collections for looted Chinese artefacts, SCMP Magazine, 2024, URL: https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3253649/how-german-museums-are-reassessing-their-imperial-chinese-treasures-worried-about-looted-boxer-war (last accessed 3.6.2024).
Noa, Ashalyna: Sāmoa and the Dragon’s long tail, Auckland War Memorial Museum Blog, 2014, URL: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/stories/blog/2014/samoa-and-the-dragons-long-tail (last accessed 3.6.2024).
Fok, Winnie: The Rise and Fall of Chinese Indentured Labour, The Gale Review, 2022, URL: https://review.gale.com/2022/09/13/the-rise-and-fall-of-chinese-indentured-labour/ (last accessed 3.6.2024).
The Silk Roads. Before and After Richthoften, The China Silk Museum, URL: https://www.chinasilkmuseum.com/yz/info_98.aspx?itemid=27887#:~:text=From%201868%20to%201872%2C%20Richthofen,Roads%E2%80%9D%20for%20the%20first%20time(last accessed 3.6.2024).
Spurensuche Kolonialer Sprengelkiez, Sprengelhaus, URL: https://demokratie.sprengelhaus-wedding.de/mehrwissen/spurensuche-2-0/ (last accessed 3.6.2024).
Ěrinnern: ein antirassistischer Audiowalk zur deutschen Kolonialgeschichte., Bildungsnetzwerk China, URL: https://bildungsnetzwerk-china.de/angebot/erinnern-der-audiowalk.html (last accessed 3.6.2024).
Stationen
Kiautschoustraße
Jiaozhou Road
German war bunker
Pekinger Platz
Humboldt Forum
The Hall of Purple Splendor
Samoastraße
Chinese plantation workers in Samoa