Eugen von Zimmerer
Encyclopedia
Eugen Ritter von Zimmerer (24 November 1843 - 10 March 1918) was a governor of the German
colony of Kamerun
between 1890 and 1893.
, the son of a Bavaria
n officer.
He attended high school in Bayreuth, and from 1861 studied law at the universities of Würzburg
and Heidelberg. While in Würzburg, he was a member of the Corps Bavaria Würzburg, the oldest of German student associations.
Zimmerer began his legal career as an assistant in the District Court in Bayreuth. He held the positions of public prosecutor at the District Court of Straubing
(1874), District Court Judge in Starnberg
(1876), State Prosecutor at the district court in Bayreuth (1878), State Prosecutor at the Regional Court of Munich (1879) and Judge of the Regional Court of Munich (1886).
The Governor of the colony, Julius Freiherr von Soden, posted him to relieve the exploratory expedition of Captain Richard Kund. In October 1888 he was appointed imperial commissioner for Togo
.
While in Togo, he became friendly with Manga Ndumbe Bell
, the son and heir of King Ndumbe Lobe Bell
of the Duala people
of Kamerun.
Manga had been exiled to Togo by Freiherr von Soden on the grounds of being a "bad influence".
In 1890 Zimmerer returned to Kamerun as acting governor, and in April 1891 was appointed governor.
Zimmerer was more concerned with consolidating the finances of the colony, and with gradually developing the territories that had already been occupied than with further expansion.
Under Zimmerer, the Germans abandoned attempts to enter the principal Bell trading region in the Mungo River
valley and turned instead to the Sanaga River
, which they closed to all native traders.
This resulted in a long-running dispute with the explorer Eugen Zintgraff who had made an agreement with the Foreign Office in 1890 to establish a system of posts in the Western High Plateau
of Cameroon.
Zimmerer was removed from Cameroon in 1893 after a mutiny of police soldiers, and on 20 July 1895 was allowed to temporarily retire due to health considerations.
, Brazil
(1898), General Consul in Valparaiso
, Chile
(1902), Minister Resident in Port-au-Prince
, Haiti
(1906), with title and rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from 1907.
On 24 December 1910 he finally retired at his own request, and moved to Frankfurt am Main, where he died eight years later.
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
colony of Kamerun
Kamerun
German Cameroon was a West African colony of the German Empire from 1884 to 1916 in the region of today's Republic of Cameroon.-History:-1800s:...
between 1890 and 1893.
Early career
Zimmerer was born on 24 November 1843 in GermersheimGermersheim
Germersheim is a town in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, of around 20,000 inhabitants. It is also the seat of the Germersheim district. The neighboring towns and cities are Speyer, Landau, Philippsburg, Karlsruhe and Wörth.-Coat of arms:...
, the son of a Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
n officer.
He attended high school in Bayreuth, and from 1861 studied law at the universities of Würzburg
University of Würzburg
The University of Würzburg is a university in Würzburg, Germany, founded in 1402. The university is a member of the distinguished Coimbra Group.-Name:...
and Heidelberg. While in Würzburg, he was a member of the Corps Bavaria Würzburg, the oldest of German student associations.
Zimmerer began his legal career as an assistant in the District Court in Bayreuth. He held the positions of public prosecutor at the District Court of Straubing
Straubing
Straubing is an independent city in Lower Bavaria, southern Germany. It is seat of the district of Straubing-Bogen. Annually in August the Gäubodenvolksfest, the second largest fair in Bavaria, is held....
(1874), District Court Judge in Starnberg
Starnberg
The city of Starnberg is in Bavaria, Germany, some 30 km south-west of Munich. It lies at the north end of Lake Starnberg, in the heart of the "Five Lakes Country", and serves as capital of the district of Starnberg...
(1876), State Prosecutor at the district court in Bayreuth (1878), State Prosecutor at the Regional Court of Munich (1879) and Judge of the Regional Court of Munich (1886).
West Africa
Zimmerer joined the colonial service in 1887, and was appointed acting chancellor and deputy governor of Kamerun.The Governor of the colony, Julius Freiherr von Soden, posted him to relieve the exploratory expedition of Captain Richard Kund. In October 1888 he was appointed imperial commissioner for Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
.
While in Togo, he became friendly with Manga Ndumbe Bell
Manga Ndumbe Bell
Auguste Manga Ndumbe Bell was a leader of the Duala people of southern Cameroon from 1897 to 1908 during the period after the German colonialists assumed control of the region as the Kamerun colony.-Background:...
, the son and heir of King Ndumbe Lobe Bell
Ndumbe Lobe Bell
Ndumbé Lobé Bell or King Bell was a leader of the Duala people in Southern Cameroon during the period when the Germans established their colony of Kamerun...
of the Duala people
Duala people
The Duala are an ethnic group of Cameroon. They primarily inhabit the littoral region to the coast and form a portion of the Sawa, or Cameroonian coastal peoples...
of Kamerun.
Manga had been exiled to Togo by Freiherr von Soden on the grounds of being a "bad influence".
In 1890 Zimmerer returned to Kamerun as acting governor, and in April 1891 was appointed governor.
Zimmerer was more concerned with consolidating the finances of the colony, and with gradually developing the territories that had already been occupied than with further expansion.
Under Zimmerer, the Germans abandoned attempts to enter the principal Bell trading region in the Mungo River
Mungo River
The Mungo River is a river of the West Coast Region of New Zealand's South Island. The major source of the Hokitika River, it flows generally west from the Southern Alps, becoming the Hokitika River at the point where it turns north as it flows through a gap in the Diedrich Range...
valley and turned instead to the Sanaga River
Sanaga River
The Sanaga River is a river of South Province, Cameroon, Centre Province, Cameroon, and West Province, Cameroon. Its length is 890 kilometers.The Sanaga River forms a boundary between two tropical moist forest ecoregions...
, which they closed to all native traders.
This resulted in a long-running dispute with the explorer Eugen Zintgraff who had made an agreement with the Foreign Office in 1890 to establish a system of posts in the Western High Plateau
Western High Plateau
The Western High Plateau, Western Highlands, or Bamenda Grassfields is a region of Cameroon characterised by high relief, cool temperatures, heavy rainfall, and savanna vegetation. The region lies along the Cameroon line and consists of mountain ranges and volcanoes made of crystalline and igneous...
of Cameroon.
Zimmerer was removed from Cameroon in 1893 after a mutiny of police soldiers, and on 20 July 1895 was allowed to temporarily retire due to health considerations.
Later career
Zimmerer's subsequent posts were Consul in FlorianopolisFlorianópolis
-Climate:Florianópolis experiences a warm humid subtropical climate, falling just short of a true tropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristic weather for autumn and spring. Frost is infrequent, but occurs occasionally in the winter...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(1898), General Consul in Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
(1902), Minister Resident in Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
(1906), with title and rank of Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from 1907.
On 24 December 1910 he finally retired at his own request, and moved to Frankfurt am Main, where he died eight years later.