Gustav Adolf von Götzen

Gustav Adolf Graf von idols ( born May 12, 1866 Castle Scharfeneck in the county of Glatz in Silesia, † December 1, 1910 in Hamburg ) was a German East Africa explorer and Governor of German East Africa.

Studies - Military - Diplomatic career

Idols studied from 1884-1887 in Paris, Berlin and Kiel law and political sciences. In 1885 he joined the 2nd Guard Lancers and in 1887 appointed officer. From 1890-1891 he was military attaché at the German Embassy in Rome and took from there a hunting trip to Mount Kilimanjaro, which was followed by a series of now famous trips to Africa and Asia Minor.

The first trip to Asia Minor took idols, who had been commanding officer as to the Military Academy, 1892 with Major Walther von Diest ( 1851-1932 ).

Expedition of 1893/94

After 1885 Carl Peters had begun with the occupation of the territory of the tanganjikanischen coast of Germany, the task is to explore the hinterland to the Congo territory presented. For this purpose, organized idols 1894 an expedition that led to the area now Rwanda, he became the first German; on this trip he also discovered the Lake Kivu. With the intention to explore Central Africa, idols broke with George Prittwitz and Gaffron (1861-1936) and Dr. Hermann Kersting on December 21, 1893 by Pangani on the German East African coast, and marched through the areas of the Maasai, North Uniamwesi and Usuwi.

May 2 1894 exceeded the expedition members the Kagera and went inside to Rwanda, which until then had been only touched by Oscar Baumann in 1892 at the eastern edge. They climbed one of the highest peaks of the Kirungaberge, the Msumbiro and the volcano still active Kirunga - cha - gongo. On 29 June, idols decided to advance west through the jungle of Uregga. After great hardships they reached on September 21, the Congo in Kirundu and on 29 November Matadi near the mouth of the great river into the Atlantic.

Official

In January 1895 idols returned to Germany and was from 1896 to 1898 military attaché in Washington. After his return to the Berlin general staff of the army, he was promoted to captain in 1900.

Governor of German East Africa

Due to his knowledge of local circumstances idols was appointed in March 1901, promoted to Major as Governor of German East Africa. After it had been announced at the end of the 1880s uprisings of the indigenous population against the colonial aspirations to idols 1905 had to deal with the outbreak of the Maji Maji rebellion, which soon about half of the colony detected, so this uprising hardly behind the Herero war in German South-West Africa was back, even if it has less perceived by the public. From idols was forced to request reinforcements from Germany, with which he suppressed the uprising. Estimates of the death toll of the uprising following famine are on the side of the insurgents according to sources at 75.000, 100-120000 or 200-300,000, while the Protection Force official reportedly lost 15 Europeans and 389 African soldiers under idols.

Return to Germany

1906 were idols of the governorship because of his failing health to Freiherr von Rechenberg from and returned to Germany. He also worked on the German colonial policy, especially as a member of the German Colonial Society. In 1908, he was royally Prussian envoy and minister plenipotentiary at the Hanseatic cities and the United Duchies of Mecklenburg in Hamburg.

Gustavus Adolphus of idols died on 1 December 1910 in Hamburg.

In 1913 a steamer named after him, today's Liemba. It was built in Papenburg, Meyer Werft and baptized in the name of idols ). . Then it was disassembled into parts and reassembled in Africa Lake Tanganyika. She was sunk in the meantime, raised again and runs today on the lake.

Works

• Through Africa from east to west. Berlin ( 1895)
• German East Africa in revolt 1905/ 06 release. Berlin ( 1909)