German New Guinea Company

The New Guinea 's Company (also Guinea - Compagnie ) was founded in Berlin by bankers and financiers as Guinea Consortium Company 1882. Their goal was the acquisition of colonial possessions in the South Pacific, particularly New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands. The founding members include, inter alia, the banker Adolph von Hanse man and Gerson von Bleichröder.

Colonial interests

The representatives of German economic interests in the Pacific were worried since the summer of 1883 by British-Australian competition. Concern was them especially the insular poaching workers - however more from self-interest, because of commitment to the locals. The practice of minimum wages and poor working conditions possible after view at that time only a "bad veiled slave trade " ( P. v. Hatzfeldt ). When Britain income received in August 1884 the eastern part of New Guinea for the Crown, the Agent of Guinea Consortium Otto Finsch claimed in December of the same year, the northeast coast of New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. Thus he prevented the occupation of the area by the United Kingdom, in particular through the British colonial administration in Queensland (Australia) was called for. Great Britain ruled from 1884 to the southeast part of New Guinea ( → British New Guinea) and from 1889 the western part was a colony of the Netherlands. ( → Dutch New Guinea).

Letters of protection

In the spring of 1885, Guinea - consortium was renamed by Hansemannplatz in New Guinea Company, which was supported by other financiers such as Guido Henckel von Donnersmarck, Christian Kraft zu Hohenlohe- Öhringen and Adolph Woermann. After a connection to the Hamburg firm Robertson & Hernsheim to the company of these was on 17 May 1885 the imperial " letter of protection " sovereign rights for the Northeast of New Guinea ( known as the Kaiser -Wilhelms -Land) and the Bismarck Archipelago transferred. On 13 December 1886, the Northern Solomon Islands ( Bougainville, Choiseul, Isabel, and others) were added. The rewriting of the nation State authority meant that Guinea 's Company held autonomous self-government rights and could take its right of the German Reich land owned, and was able to complete independently with the locals contracts for the country. The right to regulate relations with foreign powers, but remained of the Imperial Government. Supreme Administrative authority for the areas held the Governor.

Due to impending insolvency of Guinea 's Company, the German Empire was forced to buy back the sovereign rights for the colony Kaiser Wilhelm country on October 7, 1898. From the year 1899, the Empire of the colonies managed as part of German New Guinea. In place of the former provincial governor joined the imperial governor, who then had its seat in Herbertshöhe in the Bismarck Archipelago, which Friedrich Wilhelm Harbour lost its position as the administrative capital.

Economic objectives

The objectives of the company of lay primarily in the exploration of the area in preparation of land speculation and in the establishment of a German administration. Trade and the plantation economy should be brought in the future by German settlers in motion. Administrative expenses increased rapidly, because the ideologically charged prejudices that prevented cooperation with locals, society forced temporarily to " import " workers from Java and China. To create new plantations, Hanse man had been founded in 1891, another company, the Astrolabe Company. It operated until its merger with the New Guinea 's Company, 1896, the plantations in Stephansort and Erima.

Since 1893, insisted on the North German Lloyd steamer a regular connection between the field of society and Singapore. The transport connection was one of the major cost factors of the company. Furthermore, was the company of responsible for the minting of the Coin equivalent Guinea - Mark since 1894. She talked a little " protection force " and was since 1885 the news for and about Kaiser Wilhelms -Land and the Bismarck Archipelago out.

Climatic conditions, a highly formalized management and mismanagement - Hansemannplatz managed the activities of Berlin - left the company with their business ventures stand in New Guinea with high losses for which had to stand up in 1899 the German empire with the acquisition of sovereignty.

Even after 1899, the company had more business in the Pacific colonies. She made extensive experiments with the cultivation of tobacco, cotton, and other tropical plants. Later, the emphasis was placed on the cultivation of coconuts and utilization of coconut trees, especially on copra. Especially in Constantinople harbor and Herbertshöhe also rice, corn was cultivated among others for its own needs. In the capital Friedrich- Wilhelm harbor timbers were primarily obtained, a small cattle there were also.

In 1900, workers were, because of the strong increase in plantation areas, again enlisted. This came as before from Java and China, and the company of was by indirect coercion - they had charged a head tax for locals - recruit locals as laborers. The company of but never found a way to combine their interests with those of the locals, so those were ultimately considered as " resources ", which was to exploit it at a low cost.

To 1899, the total area of ​​the reserve was estimated at around 252,000 square kilometers, which consist of approximately 179,000 for the Kaiser-Wilhelms -Land, 52,000 from the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands by 21,000. 1904 had the company of estate of 138 778 ha, of which 92 046 ha to Kaiser-Wilhelms -Land and 46 732 ha in the Bismarck Archipelago.

At the start of the First World War, the New Guinea - owned company of about half of all the territories acquired by Europeans.

Administrative apparatus

On November 5, 1885, the station was founded Finschhafen. There was until 1891 the seat of the colonial administration of the Company. After a malaria epidemic, the management opted for a transfer of the administration in a healthier climate region and selected initially transitional 1891-1892 the trading station Stephansort. Final seat was then Friedrich- Wilhelm- port (now Madang ). Further stations were Constantine Harbor, Hatzfeldthaven, Erima and Herbertshöhe in New Pomerania (now Kokopo in New Britain ). Hatzfeldthaven was abandoned.

Provincial Governors of New Guinea 's Company were: