Schutztruppe SWA - Albin Freier

[Einbauschrank]

Dear gentlemen of the board,

it is my pleasure to introduce myself before posting the actual question. I came to this board via Chris Boonzaier's page. I am a French-German binational and quickly became interested in WW1 as a youth (WW2 somehow was a little bit too lopsided). Nowadays I am writing a Ph.D. about coloial warfare in Africa bordering on genocide. I want to compare different colonial campaigns and find out why one campaign is being dubbed genocidal and why it was led in the way it was led.

The German case is being illustrated by the war in SWA against the Herero. In the case of these studies I came across a novella called "Im Herzen von S?dwest" by Werner Grumpelt.He claims to have compiled the tellings of Albin Freier, a volunteer from Mockern near Altenburg.

Born in 11.11.1884, drafted with 17 he came to the 4. Eskadron, Garde du Korps. In 1904 he applied to the Schutztruppe and went to Southwestafrica (SWA) as a member of the 3. Feldbatterie. He allegedly experienced nearly everything: Onganjira, Oviumbo, Waterberg, typhus, Nama-orlog etc.

I didn't find any decoration bestowed on him, though he mentions a promotion to NCO on his 22nd birthday (11.11.1906). After three years he was dismissed and after soe wanderings, worked in a mine where he was blinded due to an accident. He returned to Germany as a cripple.

He is supposed to still have been alive in 1939 when the book was printed.

Since lots of "stories" are told within this book and since most of these stories are either "true rumours" from 1904 or at least recognizable mistakes/distortions (the missionary Diehl is named Thiele, Frau Sonnenberg becomes Frau Sonne etc.) I'd like to know whether Albin Freier is a real person or whether this book is pure propaganda from 1939 which was compiled using the available material.

Thanks a lot for reading this convoluted post

Patrick

Edited July 15, 2007 by Einbauschrank

[Bernd D]

I could not find the name Albin Freier in any book, nor Kolonial-Wochenblatt and he got no decoration. I found Otto Freier, but he died 1906 in Cameroon.

Bernd

[Chris Boonzaier]

I'd like to know whether Albin Freier is a real person or whether this book is pure propaganda from 1939 which was compiled using the available material.

Patrick

Funny you should mention this...

Major Max Bayer reports of the headquaters column fighting at hamakari in an almost standard work on the campaign

If I remember correctly, so did Freier? And Peter Moore?

Maybe both Moor and Freier are works of fiction?

[Einbauschrank]

First off: Thx a lot Bernd. I also browsed through the DKB of 1904 and didn't find him. I found it suspicious that he wasn't decorated since nearly everybody got a medal out of the war.

If I remember correctly, so did Freier? And Peter Moore?

Maybe both Moor and Freier are works of fiction?

Another detail: At Hamakari Albin Freier is claimed to have served under the detachement Hauptmann v. Fiedler, in the half battery (Halb-Batterie) von Winterfeld.

Peter Moor most certainly is a character of fiction. Since I only read sources for my work I didn't look at "Peter Moors Fahrt nach SW". Werner Grumpelt states explicitly that these accounts are "true" accounts of Albin Freier and he even provides him with a biography.

It might well be that Ritter von Epp had this book written to gather support for the reclaiming of German colonies within the Third Reich, many passages of Grumpelt's book seem to have been checked against the diary of Ritter von Epp (and other sources of course).

This is quite unfortunate since I was especially interested in the story about the Herero Arastus (or Erastus) which had been sent as a peace messenger to Samuel Maharero. According to this book Maharero was willing to conclude peace but was overruled by the other chiefs.

But, alas, it looks like this is but a work of fiction. Still, I won't give up hope.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I find Peter Moor a very important book.

It may be fiction but

1) It was a "bestseller" of its time

2) It captures the "Zeitgeist" of the German reading public and their thoughts aout the war.

I think the author presents incidents, stories and sentiments that actually did happen or were expressed, and the german public lapped it up. Especially interesting in the casual way they think about wiping out the Herero.

[Einbauschrank]

I find Peter Moor a very important book.

It may be fiction but

1) It was a "bestseller" of its time

2) It captures the "Zeitgeist" of the German reading public and their thoughts aout the war.

I think the author presents incidents, stories and sentiments that actually did happen or were expressed, and the german public lapped it up. Especially interesting in the casual way they think about wiping out the Herero.

Just imagine the examination board tearing me apart when I start quoting from a novella to prove my points Additionally it is already difficult enough for me to keep track of all the rumours and separating them into "false, exxagerated, somewhat truthful and distorted". Including the book would totally throw me off my track. I've read through several thousand pages of files, newspapers, diaries and stuff to get a somewhat clearer view of what was believed and what was true. Most interesting are the rumours within the Hereros as they are only reported afterwards or through the missionaries (Eich/Kuhlmann).

E.g. I found the "Deutsch-Suedwestafrikanische Zeitung" to be mostly a compilation of opionions and lies/propaganda. On the other hand I had a good time reading "The Owl" from South-Africa where von Trotha is characterized with much British wit a strutting peacock.

[Chris Boonzaier]

I guess you have read the Max Bayer book?

I have been meaning to get it for ages, for the time being just have the section on Hamakari that was published elsewhere.

All the best

Chris

[Einbauschrank]

Alas not. I have ordered it per Fernleihe, but this always takes a week or two.

[Chris Boonzaier]

Bayers account is very interesting as he WAS there. What I find very surreal is the very casual way he writes about them chasing the Herero to their doom.

[Einbauschrank]

I'm lookiing forward to Bauer. Today I read some of the "Franke Diaries" in Koblenz. (The first tome is available as a book, everyone who likes colonial history should have a look at it!) He describes Bayer as a "Etappenhengst" and writes about him "His attempts to make himself appear as a front line soldier make me want to laugh." Or "the most fantastical of Herero toponyms escapes the enclosure of his teeth".

Other people are described as "sh*tbags", "nice bloke, who smells between the legs" and "spittle licking doctor who exercises his trade in his superiors butts".

[Chris Boonzaier]

I'm lookiing forward to Bauer. Today I read some of the "Franke Diaries" in Koblenz. (The first tome is available as a book, everyone who likes colonial history should have a look at it!) He describes Bayer as a "Etappenhengst" and writes about him "His attempts to make himself appear as a front line soldier make me want to laugh." Or "the most fantastical of Herero toponyms escapes the enclosure of his teeth".

He is a fascinating man to study, He published a few books (fiction and non fiction) on the war, founded the German Boyscout movement (Pfadfinder), was a batln commander in the 27th IR when they took L?ttich, Was military commandant of L?ttich then Brussels in 1914. He was then tasked with forming the 27th J?ger bataillon, a semi-secret unit of finnish volunteers then ended up dying under suspicious circumstances on a one man patrol on the western front after taking over a regt.