List of former German colonies

German colonies throughout history:

  German Empire

  Colonies of the German Empire

  Prussian-Brandenburg colonies

  "Little Venice"

This is a list of former German colonies and protectorates (German: Schutzgebiete) outside of the European borders of Prussia and the German Empire.

Brandenburg–Prussian colonies

These were colonies unsuccessfully settled by Brandenburg-Prussia (part of the Holy Roman Empire realm), since 1701 Kingdom of Prussia, before the foundation of the German Empire in 1871.

Africa

• Groß Friedrichsburg (in Ghana), 1683–1718
• Arguin (in Mauritania), 1685–1721
• Whydah (in present Bénin), circa 1700 (this Brandenburg 'colony' was just a minor point of support, a few dwellings at a site co-inhabited by British and Dutch)

North America

These territories were held briefly under lease or occupation during the early European colonizations of the New World.

• Saint Thomas. Leased by Brandenburg from the Danish West India Company, 1685–1720.
• Island of Crabs (Krabbeninsel in German) (Caribbean, now US), Brandenburg annexation in the Danish West Indies, 1689–1693
• Tertholen (Caribbean), 1696. Occupation.

Habsburg colonies

These were colonies of the Habsburg Monarchy (part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation realm), since 1804 Austrian Empire, since 1867 Austria-Hungary.

• Banquibazar & Cabelon (1719/23–1744/50)^[1]
• Nicobar islands (1778–1783)^[2]
• Tientsin concession (1901–1917)

German imperial colonies

These are colonies settled by and controlled by the German Empire from 1884 to 1919. Those territories constituted the German Colonial Empire.

Africa

The following were German African protectorates:

German colonies in Africa, 1884–1920

• German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika):
  • Tanganyika. In 1922 became a League of Nations mandate under the United Kingdom. In 1961 became independent and in 1964 joined with former British protectorate of the sultanate of Zanzibar to form present-day Tanzania
  • Ruanda-Urundi (1885–1917) – present-day Rwanda and Burundi after Belgian mandate period
  • Wituland (1885–1890) – since 1890 in Kenya
  • Kionga Triangle – since 1920 (earlier occupied) in Portuguese Mozambique
• German South West Africa (Deutsch-Südwestafrika) – present-day Namibia (except then-British Walvis Bay) and part of Botswana (Südrand des Caprivi-Zipfels)
• German West Africa (Deutsch-Westafrika) – existed as one unit only for two or three years, then split into two colonies due to distances:
  • Kamerun (1884–1914) – after World War I, separated into
    • a British part, Cameroons, later split in half, with one part joining Nigeria and the other becoming part of modern Cameroon. (Kamerun, Nigeria-Ostteil, Tschad-Südwestteil, Zentralafrikanische Republik-Westteil, Republik Kongo-Nordostteil, Gabun-Nordteil)
    • a French Cameroun, which became present Cameroon.
  • Togoland (1884–1914) – after World War I it separated into two :
    • a British part (Ghana-Westteil), which joined Ghana
    • a French part, which became Togo republic, because of the Treaty of Versailles in World War 1

Pacific

These were German colonies in the Pacific:

German colonies in southern Pacific: Kaiserwilhelmsland and the Bismarck Archipelago (Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Caroline Islands)

• German New Guinea (Deutsch-Neuguinea) (1884–1914) and Micronesia (later incorporated into the German New Guinea)
  • Kaiser-Wilhelmsland
  • Bismarck Archipelago (Bismarck-Archipel)
  • German Solomon Islands or Northern Solomon Islands (Salomonen or Nördliche Salomon-Inseln) (1885–1899)
  • Bougainville Island (Bougainville-Insel) (1888–1919)
  • Nauru (1888–1919)
  • Marshall Islands (Marschall-Inseln) (1885–1919)
  • Mariana Islands (Marianen) (1899–1919) – present-day Northern Mariana Islands
  • Caroline Islands (Karolinen) (1899–1919) – present-day Federated States of Micronesia and Palau
• German Samoa (Deutsch-Samoa) (1899–1914) – present-day Samoa

Colonial Possessions and Protectorates of the German Empire, 1883–1920, confirmed by Treaty, International Agreement, or Purchase

China

These Treaty ports were German concessions in China, leased to it by the Qing Dynasty.

• Jiaozhou Bay concession (Deutsch-Kiautschou) (1898–1914)
• Chefoo (190?–1918)
• Tsingtao (1891–1914)

Americas

• The German Caribbean was colonised briefly in the nineteenth century.

See also

• German colonization of the Americas
• German colonial empire
• Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty
• Postage stamps and postal history of the German colonies
• New Swabia
• Ernst Thälmann Island

Sources and external links

• German colonies (in German)
• WorldStatesmen