Ndumbe Lobe Bell

King Bell (actually Ndumb'a Lobe ) ( † December 27, 1897 in Douala ) was King of the Duala people of Cameroon to the German colonial period. He was one of the signatories of the Treaty for Protection, which formed the basis for the seizure of Cameroon by the German Empire.

After 1870/71 the German nation-state was created, German researchers and especially business owners penetrated ever more decisively to Africa before. The merchants of Hamburg seemed particularly attractive Cameroon. There flourished at this time the trade of the coastal peoples with those of the hinterland. Main beneficiary was the Duala, especially their king, King Bell. Its trade area covering mainly along the subscription. Hugo Zöller wrote about the wealth of King Bells:

The German companies in the field of Douala had to King Bell called Kumi (actually Coomie ), a kind of tax to be paid. The company Carl Woermann had to deliver 80 Kru ( goods to the value of 1,000 marks ) solely for his trading post.

The German delegation under Gustav Nachtigal reached it that King Bell was ready on 11 and 12 July 1884 to sign the treaty of protection, the King Akwa and he had formulated together with the German ambassador. The protection agreement was as follows:

On July 14, it came to Flaggenhissung in Douala. For the contract is signed, the German company had paid 27,000 marks to King Bell, he thus rose to become one of the wealthiest Africans of his time.

The German colonial lexicon of 1920 wrote about King Bell:

In Germany, King Bell was his life, victims of racist views. About him wrong a Spottvers: