Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
Encyclopedia
Kaiser-Wilhelmsland was part of the German New Guinea
, the South Pacific protectorate of the German Empire
. Named in honor of Wilhelm II, who was the German Emperor and King of Prussia
, it included the north-eastern part of the present day Papua New Guinea
. From 1884 until 1918, the territory was a protectorate of the German Empire
. Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, New Pomerania, the Bismarck Archipelago
, the northern Solomon Islands
, the Carolina Islands, Palau
, Nauru
, the Mariana Islands
and the Marshall Islands
comprised German New Guinea
.
Most of the German settlers to Kaiser-Wilhelmsland were plantation owners, miners, and government functionaries, and the number of European settlers, including non-Germans, was never very high. In 1885, Lutheran and Catholic congregations sent clergy to establish missions, who experienced moderate, but very slow, success with the indigenous peoples. Missionaries and plantation owners alike were limited by tropical diseases, travel and communication barriers.
The protectorate was never fully explored by the Germans, although in 1914, the German government mounted an expedition to explore and map the interior. Lutheran missionaries were frequently the first Europeans to explore the interior and examine the different fauna and flora.
At the outbreak of war in 1914, the German protectorate was quickly over run by British-Australian troops. In 1918, as part of the settlements ending World War I
, Kaiser-Wilhemsland was administered by the British Dominion of Australia
.
glaciers created much of the topography of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland. Recent studies suggest Mount Wilhelm held approximately 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi) of glacial ice. Further north, closer to the Equator, the glaciers left behind large rubble fields.
The territory of Kaiser Wilhelmsland was largely mountainous, with Mount Wilhelm
4509 metres (14,793 ft) the highest peak of the Hagan Range, which separated the protectorate from the British Papua. There are several major rivers, notably the Sepik River 1126 kilometres (700 mi) which drops from the Highlands and winds through lowland swamp plains to the north coast.
The Markham River
flows 180 kilometres (112 mi) from the Finisterre Range
and ends in the Huon Gulf
. The Huon Peninsula
, named for the French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec
, has raised beaches
, usually created by the combination of tectonic coastal uplift and quaternary sea-level fluctuations. The Saruwaged massif, with its twin peaks of Bangeta and Saruwaged, dominate the Saruwaged Range
; rugged and steep, the massif reaches 4000 metres (13,123 ft), and is surrounded by jungles at its base.
(5°47′1.36"S 144°19′54.2"E), one of the oldest agricultural drainage sites in Australasia
; the site has been identified as a UNESCO site, and is on the list of recommended World Heritage sites.
Linguistic features suggest the origins of the population. Along the southeast coast and in the Markham Valley, the Austronesia
family of languages predominate. The two main languages were Kâte
and Yabim, with Kâte spoken in the mountainous hinterlands and Yabim, on the coastal areas, particularly on coast of the Huon peninsula. The Non-Austronesia languages are heard most commonly in the mountain regions.
to lead an expedition to survey the border between the British protectorate, called Papua
and the German territory and to survey and map the interior. Detzner seemed to be the right man for the job. Detzner's mission was also to be the first serious attempt to explore the unknown interior and to evaluate and describe its contents.
, and between 1884 and 1899 was actually administered by the company. The plantation owners, most of whom mined copper, or grew such tropical products as coconuts, focused their attention on the coastal regions, leaving exploration of the interior to the missionaries and military explorers.
In 1885–87, Johann Flierl
established missionary stations in Simbang and Timba Island. After malaria epidemics in 1889 and again in 1891 killed almost half of the European settlers on the coast in Finschhafen, many of the Europeans moved toward Friedrich Wilhelmshafen (now Madang
). Flierl established a Mission station at the Sattelberg, 700 metres (2,297 ft) in the highlands. In 1890–91, he built the Sattelberg Mission Station there and constructed a road approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) between the station and the Finsch harbor (Finschhafen), which cut the traveling time from three days to five hours.
On 4 August 1914, Britain declared war on Germany. As World War I
spread to the Pacific, Australian troops
invaded German New Guinea, taking the German barracks in Herbertshöhe (present day Kokopo
) and forcing the defending German colonial troops to capitulate on 21 September after their defeat at Bita Paka
.
, governed the former German territory of New Guinea. It was administered under this mandate until the Japanese invasion in December 1941 (Operation Mo
). Most of the territory of New Guinea, including the islands of Bougainville
, and New Britain
, was occupied by Japanese forces before recapture during the final months of the war in the Australian-American New Guinea campaign
.
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
, the South Pacific protectorate of the German Empire
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...
. Named in honor of Wilhelm II, who was the German Emperor and King of Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, it included the north-eastern part of the present day Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
. From 1884 until 1918, the territory was a protectorate of the German Empire
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...
. Kaiser-Wilhelmsland, New Pomerania, the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
, the northern Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
, the Carolina Islands, Palau
Palau
Palau , officially the Republic of Palau , is an island nation in the Pacific Ocean, east of the Philippines and south of Tokyo. In 1978, after three decades as being part of the United Nations trusteeship, Palau chose independence instead of becoming part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a...
, Nauru
Nauru
Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just...
, the Mariana Islands
Mariana Islands
The Mariana Islands are an arc-shaped archipelago made up by the summits of 15 volcanic mountains in the north-western Pacific Ocean between the 12th and 21st parallels north and along the 145th meridian east...
and the Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands , , is a Micronesian nation of atolls and islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, just west of the International Date Line and just north of the Equator. As of July 2011 the population was 67,182...
comprised German New Guinea
German New Guinea
German New Guinea was the first part of the German colonial empire. It was a protectorate from 1884 until 1914 when it fell to Australia following the outbreak of the First World War. It consisted of the northeastern part of New Guinea and several nearby island groups...
.
Most of the German settlers to Kaiser-Wilhelmsland were plantation owners, miners, and government functionaries, and the number of European settlers, including non-Germans, was never very high. In 1885, Lutheran and Catholic congregations sent clergy to establish missions, who experienced moderate, but very slow, success with the indigenous peoples. Missionaries and plantation owners alike were limited by tropical diseases, travel and communication barriers.
The protectorate was never fully explored by the Germans, although in 1914, the German government mounted an expedition to explore and map the interior. Lutheran missionaries were frequently the first Europeans to explore the interior and examine the different fauna and flora.
At the outbreak of war in 1914, the German protectorate was quickly over run by British-Australian troops. In 1918, as part of the settlements ending World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Kaiser-Wilhemsland was administered by the British Dominion of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Natural features
QuaternaryQuaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
glaciers created much of the topography of Kaiser-Wilhelmsland. Recent studies suggest Mount Wilhelm held approximately 65 square kilometres (25 sq mi) of glacial ice. Further north, closer to the Equator, the glaciers left behind large rubble fields.
The territory of Kaiser Wilhelmsland was largely mountainous, with Mount Wilhelm
Mount Wilhelm
Mount Wilhelm is the highest mountain in Papua New Guinea at . It is part of the Bismarck Range and the peak is the point where three provinces intersect, Simbu, Western Highlands and Madang...
4509 metres (14,793 ft) the highest peak of the Hagan Range, which separated the protectorate from the British Papua. There are several major rivers, notably the Sepik River 1126 kilometres (700 mi) which drops from the Highlands and winds through lowland swamp plains to the north coast.
The Markham River
Markham River
The Markham River is a river in eastern Papua New Guinea. It originates in the Finisterre Range and flows for to empty into the Huon Gulf at Lae....
flows 180 kilometres (112 mi) from the Finisterre Range
Finisterre Range
Finisterre Range is a mountain range in north-eastern Papua New Guinea, at . The unnamed highest point of the range , which is ranked 45th in the world by prominence, is usually quoted at 4,175 m, but SRTM data suggests that it is nearer to 4,120 m...
and ends in the Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf
Huon Gulf is a large gulf in eastern Papua New Guinea, at . It is bordered by Huon Peninsula in the north. Both are named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. Huon Gulf is a part of the Solomon Sea. Lae, capital of the Morobe Province is located on the northern coast of the...
. The Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula
Huon Peninsula is a large rugged peninsula on the island of New Guinea in Morobe Province, eastern Papua New Guinea. It is named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec who discovered it along with his personal assistant and porter, Henry Ole. The peninsula is dominated by the steep...
, named for the French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec
Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec
Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec was an 18th century French navigator. In September 1791 he was chosen to command the Espérance on the Bruni d'Entrecasteaux expedition to find the lost expedition of Jean-François de La Pérouse. The expedition explored Australia and the South Pacific...
, has raised beaches
Marine terrace
A marine terrace, coastal terrace, raised beach or perched coastline is a relatively flat, horizontal or gently inclined surface of marine origin, mostly an old abrasion platform which has been lifted out of the sphere of wave activity . Thus it lies above or under the current sea level, depending...
, usually created by the combination of tectonic coastal uplift and quaternary sea-level fluctuations. The Saruwaged massif, with its twin peaks of Bangeta and Saruwaged, dominate the Saruwaged Range
Saruwaged Range
The Saruwaged Range is a mountain range on the Huon Peninsula in Morobe Province, north-eastern Papua New Guinea...
; rugged and steep, the massif reaches 4000 metres (13,123 ft), and is surrounded by jungles at its base.
Indigenous population
Near Mount Hagen, archeologists have identified the Kuk SwampKuk Swamp
Kuk Swamp is an archaeological site in New Guinea. Evidence for early agricultural drainage systems was found here, beginning about 9,000 years ago.In 2008, it was listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.-External links:...
(5°47′1.36"S 144°19′54.2"E), one of the oldest agricultural drainage sites in Australasia
Australasia
Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
; the site has been identified as a UNESCO site, and is on the list of recommended World Heritage sites.
Linguistic features suggest the origins of the population. Along the southeast coast and in the Markham Valley, the Austronesia
Austronesian languages
The Austronesian languages are a language family widely dispersed throughout the islands of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, with a few members spoken on continental Asia that are spoken by about 386 million people. It is on par with Indo-European, Niger-Congo, Afroasiatic and Uralic as one of the...
family of languages predominate. The two main languages were Kâte
Kate
Kate is a feminine given name. It is sometimes a short form of Katherine, which is Greek meaning pure, blessed, virginal and popularity. It may refer to:People with the given name Kate:*Kate In meteorology:...
and Yabim, with Kâte spoken in the mountainous hinterlands and Yabim, on the coastal areas, particularly on coast of the Huon peninsula. The Non-Austronesia languages are heard most commonly in the mountain regions.
Early exploration
The coastline of the northern and eastern portions of New Guinea had been charted by navigators in the early 17th century, and the visible mountain ranges named by British admiralty navigators later in the century. Most German surveying efforts had focused on coastal regions and river basins, where Germans had established plantations. The boundary between Papua and Kaiser Wilhelmsland had been established by a joint British-German expedition in 1909, the interior had not been mapped. Since then, Papuan gold prospectors had crossed into German territory which, from the German perspective, made the accuracy of the border essential. In late 1913, the Imperial Colonial Office appointed Hermann DetznerHermann Detzner
Hermann Philipp Detzner was an officer in the German colonial security force in Kamerun and German New Guinea, as well as a surveyor, an engineer, an adventurer, and a writer....
to lead an expedition to survey the border between the British protectorate, called Papua
Papua Region
Papua Region is one of four regions of Papua New Guinea. The region includes the national capital Port Moresby.-Subdivision:The Region is administratively divided into six provinces:* Central Province* Gulf Province* Milne Bay Province...
and the German territory and to survey and map the interior. Detzner seemed to be the right man for the job. Detzner's mission was also to be the first serious attempt to explore the unknown interior and to evaluate and describe its contents.
Settlement by Europeans
In 1882, the firms of German New Guinea Company and Plantation Society, and the Robertson and Hernsheim Company (later Hernsheim Company) secured the German business interests on the Island. The colony was dominated by the German New Guinea CompanyGerman New Guinea Company
The German New Guinea Company was a German Chartered Company which exploited insular territory in and near present Papua New Guinea.- History :...
, and between 1884 and 1899 was actually administered by the company. The plantation owners, most of whom mined copper, or grew such tropical products as coconuts, focused their attention on the coastal regions, leaving exploration of the interior to the missionaries and military explorers.
In 1885–87, Johann Flierl
Johann Flierl
Johann Flierl , was a pioneer Lutheran missionary in New Guinea. He established mission schools and organized the construction of roads and communication between otherwise remote interior locations. Under his leadership, Lutheran evangelicalism flourished in New Guinea...
established missionary stations in Simbang and Timba Island. After malaria epidemics in 1889 and again in 1891 killed almost half of the European settlers on the coast in Finschhafen, many of the Europeans moved toward Friedrich Wilhelmshafen (now Madang
Madang
Madang is the capital of Madang Province and is a town with a population of 27,420 on the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was first settled by the Germans in the 19th century....
). Flierl established a Mission station at the Sattelberg, 700 metres (2,297 ft) in the highlands. In 1890–91, he built the Sattelberg Mission Station there and constructed a road approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) between the station and the Finsch harbor (Finschhafen), which cut the traveling time from three days to five hours.
Outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
spread to the Pacific, Australian troops
Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force
The Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force was a small volunteer force of approximately 2,000 men, raised in Australia shortly after the outbreak of the First World War to seize and destroy German wireless stations in German New Guinea in the south-west Pacific...
invaded German New Guinea, taking the German barracks in Herbertshöhe (present day Kokopo
Kokopo
Kokopo is the capital of East New Britain in Papua New Guinea. The capital was moved from Rabaul in 1994 when the volcanoes Tavurvur and Vulcan erupted. As a result, the population of the town increased more than sixfold from 3,150 in 1990 to 20,262 in 2000....
) and forcing the defending German colonial troops to capitulate on 21 September after their defeat at Bita Paka
Battle of Bita Paka
The Battle of Bita Paka was fought south of Kabakaul, on the island of New Britain, and was a part of the invasion and subsequent occupation of German New Guinea by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force shortly after the outbreak of the First World War...
.
Reorganization and Australian administration 1920-1945
In 1918, Kaiser Wilhelmsland and the other territories that comprised German New Guinea (New Pomerania and the islands of the Bismarck Archipilago) were administered by the Commonwealth of Australia. Beginning in 1920, Australia, under a mandate from the League of NationsLeague of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
, governed the former German territory of New Guinea. It was administered under this mandate until the Japanese invasion in December 1941 (Operation Mo
Operation Mo
Operation Mo or the Port Moresby Operation was the name of the Japanese plan to take control of the Australian Territory of New Guinea during World War II as well as other locations in the South Pacific with the goal of isolating Australia and New Zealand from their ally the United States...
). Most of the territory of New Guinea, including the islands of Bougainville
Bougainville Island
Bougainville Island is the main island of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville of Papua New Guinea. This region is also known as Bougainville Province or the North Solomons. The population of the province is 175,160 , which includes the adjacent island of Buka and assorted outlying islands...
, and New Britain
New Britain
New Britain, or Niu Briten, is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from the island of New Guinea by the Dampier and Vitiaz Straits and from New Ireland by St. George's Channel...
, was occupied by Japanese forces before recapture during the final months of the war in the Australian-American New Guinea campaign
New Guinea campaign
The New Guinea campaign was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.Before the war, the island of New Guinea was split between:...
.
See also
- Prefecture Apostolic of KaiserwilhelmslandPrefecture Apostolic of KaiserwilhelmslandThe Prefecture Apostolic of Kaiserwilhelmsland was a missionary jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in the late Nineteenth and early Twentieth Century Church , based in Alexishafen and Madang in what is now Papua New Guinea....
- Dutch New Guinea
- Unserdeutsch languageUnserdeutsch languageUnserdeutsch , or Rabaul Creole German, is a German-based creole language spoken primarily in Papua New Guinea. It was formed among the New Guinean children residing in a German-run orphanage...
External links
- Prefecture Apostolic of Kaiserwilhelmsland - Catholic Encyclopedia article