List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo

Belgian Congo (dark green) depicted with Belgian Ruanda-Urundi (light green), 1935.

This is a list of European colonial administrators responsible for the territory of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

International Association of the Congo

Prior to the creation of the Congo Free State, the International Association of the Congo (IAC) had signed treaties with over 300 native Congolese chiefs and in effect exercised sovereignty over a large area. The IAC was headquartered in Belgium and run by a committee under the presidency of Maximilien Strauch. Prior to the creation of the office of Administrator-General, authority on the ground in the Congo had been exercised by a Chief of Expedition, who until April 1884 was Henry Morton Stanley.[1]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Position Term of Office Notes
Took Office Left Office
Francis de Winton
(1835–1901)		 Administrator-General 22 April 1884 1 July 1885

Congo Free State

Administrators-General / Governors-General

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Position Term of Office Notes
Took Office Left Office
Francis de Winton
(1835–1901)		 Administrator-General 1 July 1885 April 1886
Camille Janssen
(1837–1926)		 Administrator-General April 1886 17 April 1887
Governor-General 17 April 1887 1 July 1892 [2]
Théophile Wahis
(1844–1921)		 Governor-General 1 July 1892 15 November 1908

Vice Governors-General

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Position Term of Office Notes
Took Office Left Office
Camille Janssen
(1837–1926)		 Vice Administrator-General 25 September 1885 April 1886
Herman Ledeganck
(1841–1908)		 Vice Governor-General 31 January 1888 January 1889 [3]
Henri Gondry
(1845–1889)		 Acting Vice Governor-General January 1889 18 May 1889 [4]
Camille Coquilhat
(1853–1891)		 Vice Governor-General 1890 24 March 1891 [5]
Théophile Wahis
(1844–1921)		 Vice Governor-General 15 April 1891 1 July 1892 [6]
Francis Dhanis
(1861–1909)		 Vice Governor-General 4 September 1896 1897
Émile Wangermée
(1855–1924)		 Vice Governor-General 11 April 1897 1 December 1897
Alphonse van Gèle
(1848–1939)		 Vice Governor-General 1 December 1897 10 January 1899
Paul Costermans
(1860–1905)		 Vice Governor-General January 1904 March 1905
Félix Fuchs
(1858–1928)		 Governor-General ad interim 25 December 1902 4 March 1904
Vice Governor-General 1907 1908
Albert Lantonnois van Rode
(1852–1934)		 Vice Governor-General May 1905 1906/7

Belgian Congo

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)		 Position Term of Office Notes
Took Office Left Office
Théophile Wahis
(1844–1921)		 Governor-General 15 November 1908 20 May 1912
Félix Fuchs
(1858–1928)		 Governor-General 20 May 1912 5 January 1916
Eugène Henry
(1862–1930)		 Governor-General 5 January 1916 30 January 1921
Maurice Lippens
(1875–1956)		 Governor-General 30 January 1921 24 January 1923
Martin Rutten
(1876–1944)		 Governor-General 24 January 1923 27 December 1927
Auguste Tilkens
(1869–1949)		 Governor-General 27 December 1927 14 September 1934
Pierre Ryckmans
(1891–1959)		 Governor-General 14 September 1934 31 December 1946
Eugène Jungers
(1888–1958)		 Governor-General 31 December 1946 1 January 1952
Léo Pétillon
(1903–1996)		 Governor-General 1 January 1952 12 July 1958
Hendrik Cornelis
(1910–1999)		 Governor-General 12 July 1958 30 June 1960

On 1 July 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo (République du Congo).

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Boulger 1898, pp. 258–59.
  2. ↑ Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 20. Janssen continued as an Honorary Governor-General until his death.
  3. ↑ Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 163. He left for the Congo on 6 February 1888 and returned to Europe on 19 May 1889.
  4. ↑ Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 165. He left for the Congo on 6 January 1889 to replace Ledeganck.
  5. ↑ Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 48. He embarked for the Congo on 28 March 1890 and was named Vice Governor-General shortly after his arrival.
  6. ↑ Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 28. He was appointed Vice Governor-General on 19 November 1890, but did not arrive to take over his post until 15 April 1891.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.