Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen

Adolf Graf von Götzen
5th Governor of German East Africa
In office 12 March 1901 – 15 April 1906
Deputy	Friedrich Wilhelm von Lindeiner-Wildau
Preceded by	Eduard von Liebert
Succeeded by	Albrecht Freiherr von Rechenberg
Born	12 May 1866(1866-05-12) Scharfeneck Castle, Kreis Neurode, Regierungsbezirk Breslau, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Confederation
Died	1 December 1910 (aged 44) Berlin, Province of Brandenburg, German Empire
Spouse(s)	∞ 1898 May, née Loney
Children	1
Military service
Allegiance	German Empire
Service/branch	Prussian Army Schutztruppe
Years of service	1887–1906/08
Rank	Major
Battles/wars	German colonization of Africa Spanish-American War (observer) Maji Maji War

Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen (12 May 1866 – 1 December 1910) was a German military officer, explorer (Afrikaforscher), diplomat, and colonial administrator, who served as Governor of German East Africa. He came to Rwanda in 1894 becoming the second European to enter the territory, since Oskar Baumann’s brief expedition in 1892, and later, he became the first European to cross the entire territory of Rwanda. During the Maji Maji War of 1905, Götzen commanded the Schutztruppe against several rebelling African tribes in the German East Africa colony, successfully quelling the uprising.

Life

After Abitur in 1884 or 1885 (depending on the source) and studying law for two years in Paris, Berlin and Kiel, Graf von Götzen joined the 2. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment (2nd Guards Uhlan Regiment) in Berlin in 1887. His military career took place largely in the diplomatic service. In 1891, he was assigned to the German Embassy in Rome. A hunting trip to the Kilimanjaro region (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Spitze) in the same year had a major influence on his further development. Von Götzen, who had been assigned to the War Academy (Preußische Kriegsakademie) as an officer, undertook his first trip to Asia Minor in 1892 with Major Walther von Diest (1851–1932).

In 1893/94, accompanied by Georg von Prittwitz und Gaffron (1861–1936; Aeolanthus Prittwitzianus and Cineraria Prittwitzii were named in his honour) and Dr. med. Hermann Kersting (1863–1937), he led an expedition with 600 bearers across Central Africa, from Pangani on the Indian Ocean to Matadi at the mouth of the Congo. This expedition (21 December 1893 to 8 December 1894) can probably be described as one of the last major crossings of Africa that was blessed with significant new land discoveries. Among the numerous individual findings, it is particularly worth mentioning that Graf von Götzen sailed on Lake Kivu in the northern Tanganyika Rift area, which had previously only been mentioned in reports, discovered the volcanoes at the northern end of this lake, some of which are still active today, and was the first to cross the legendary empire of Rwanda.

Rwanda

1892

The first European traveler to actually set foot in Rwanda was the geographer Oskar Baumann. In service of the “German Anti-Slavery Committee” (Deutsche Antisklaverei-Komitee in Koblenz), he headed an expedition that led to Lake Tanganyika. In September 1892, he crossed the border to Rwanda from Burundi and was welcomed for the time being. When he wanted to leave after four days, the tribal chieftan, callimg himself "king", did not give his permission. The Europeans and their bearers still set off and were then attacked by Rwandan archers. Baumann quickly had them shot at and then left the country towards Burundi.

1894

The next expedition was led by 2nd Lieutenant à la suite of the 2. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen and crossed Rwanda from 2 May to 29 June 1894. His caravan was initially received curiously and he was granted, as the first white man ever, an audience with the chieftan ("king"). The tribe responded increasingly defensive and contemptuous, calling the Europeans “wild animals”. The black Africans did not answer the questions of Graf von Götzen or deliberately spread false information. The caravan, on its way through Rwanda, was repeatedly obstructed and even violently attacked. On 29 June 1894, von Götzen decided to advance west through the Uregga jungle. After great hardships, they reached the Congo near Kirundu on 21 September 1894 and Matadi near the mouth of the great river into the Atlantic on 29 November 1894. On 8 December 1894, the expedition officially ended.

His achievements were great and he discovered the stratovolcano Kirunga-tsha-gongo (Mount Nyiragongo) and Lake Kivu. When Graf von Götzen climbed Kirunga-tsha-gongo, he and his companions had to fight their way through dense forest and undergrowth for three and a half days. High steppe plants were still found on the approximately 2000 m high, lava-covered plain at Kirunga. Rwanda is a hilly highland, which means the climate is pleasant despite being close to the equator. Lake Kivu is the highest of the Central African lakes; it is 1460 m above sea level, is 100 km long, 50 km wide and very deep. It is four times larger than Lake Constance in Southern Germany. There are hot springs in the northeast of the lake. During World War I, the Belgian and German troops halted fighting one day a week to swim together in the lake. The very Germanophile King Musinga ruled the tribes from 1895 to 1931.

Diplomat and Imperial Governor

From 1896 to 1898, Graf von Götzen served as a military and naval attaché in Washington D.C., becoming an observer during the Spanish-American War. After his return, he was appointmented to the Generalstab der Armee or General Staff of the Army (now officially subordinated to the 3. Garde-Ulanen-Regiment in Potsdam) and was promoted to captain (Hauptmann) in 1900. He was appointed Governor of German East Africa and commander of the Schutztruppe in 1901 due to his extensive African experience.

During the bloody Maji Maji Rebellion (starting July 1905), which soon covered around half of the colony, von Götzen was forced to request reinforcements from the German Empire. Not until August 1907 were the last embers of rebellion extinguished. Nevertheless, also thanks to von Götzen's as well as his successor's energy and skill, the uprising was suppressed in a relatively short time, even though the Germans were helplessly outnumbered. In its wake, the rebellion had left 15 Germans, 73 Askari and 316 auxiliary troops ⚔, several German civilians murdered and tens or even hundreds of thousands of native insurgents dead.

In 1906, his poor health forced him to resign from the responsible post (with permission to continue wearing the uniform of the Schutztruppe) and returned to Germany. He belonged to the Offiziere à la suite der Armee until 1908/09. He continued to work on German colonial policy, particularly as a member of the German Colonial Society (Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft). He lived until 1908 in Gremsmühlen (Ostholstein).

In 1908, he became the Royal Prussian Ambassador and Minister Plenipotentiary (Königlich Preußischer außerordentlicher Gesandter und bevollmächtigter Minister) to the Hanseatic Cities and the Grand Duchies of Mecklenburg in Hamburg.

Death

Gustav Adolf Graf von Götzen "succumbed to internal suffering" (perforation of an ulcer in the 12 finger intestine or duodenum) in Berlin on the evening of 1 December 1910. Some sources state, he died in the Auguste-Viktoria-Krankenhaus in Schöneberg (independent until 1920) near Berlin during or shortly before an emergency operation. His tomb with a bronze sculpture by the German sculptor Gustav Eberlein is in the Ohlsdorf Cemetery in Hamburg on Norderstraße near Nordteich.

Family

Descent

Gustav Adolf was the son of retired 1st Lieutenant and Knight of Justice (Rechtsritter) of the Johanniter-Orden Adolf Viktor Graf von Götzen (1821–1879) and his wife, the abbess Wanda Marie Luise Freiin von Zedlitz und Neukrich (1845–1921).

Siblings

He had two siblings:

• Mathilde Luise (b. 21 October 1867; d. 12 December 1934 in Kapsdorf, Kreis Breslau)
• Bolko Hugo Theodor Eberhard (b. 19 April 1870; d. 14 October 1912), buried at the Invalids' Cemetery in Berlin to the right of his mother's grave

Marriage

On 4 January 1898 in Washington D.C., Graf von Götzen married the widow May Stanley Lay, née Loney (1857/61–1931) from Baltimore, Maryland. They had one daughter:

• Wanda Luise (b. 17 October 1898 in Berlin; d. 1951); ∞ 18 May 1924 Wilhelm Hunt Diederich

Promotions

• 1900 Hauptmann (Captain)
• 12 March 1901 Charakter als Major (honorary Major)
• 10 April 1906 Major

Awards, decorations and honours (excerpt)

• Order of the Crown of Italy, Knight's Cross (JK5)
• Karl Ritter-Medaille in Silver of the Society for Geography in Berlin (Gesellschaft für Erdkunde zu Berlin) on 2 February 1895
• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class with the Crown
• Friedrich Order, Knight's Cross First Class (WF3a)
• Belgian Royal Order of the Lion, Knight's Cross (BLöw4)
• Prussian Centenary Medal 1897 (Zentenarmedaille)
• Red Eagle Order (Roter Adlerorden), 4th Class with the Crown and Swords (for his service during the Spanish-American War)
• Prussian Order of the Crown (Kronenorden), 3rd Class
• Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter) of the Johanniter-Orden on 28 July 1902
• Mecklenburg Order of the Griffon (Großherzoglich Mecklenburgischer Greifenorden), Commander's Cross (MG2b)
• Lippe House Order (Lippischer Hausorden), Cross of Honor 1st Class (LDH1)
• Prussian Long Service Cross for 25 years (Königlich Preußisches Dienstauszeichnungskreuz)
• Prussian Order of the Crown, 2nd Class with Swords
• Swedish Royal Order of the North Star, Commander's Cross 1st Class (SN2a)

Honours

• In 1913, a steamship was named after him. In 2023, still active as the motorship "Liemba".
  • She was built in the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg and named Goetzen (ceremonial ship launching: 5 February 1915). The ship was then dismantled into individual parts and reassembled at Lake Tanganyika in Africa. It was sunk in the meantime, raised again and still operates on the lake today. She is the oldest commercial ship in the world still operating today. However, the steam engine has long since been replaced by a diesel; and due to its age, the ship has to go to anchorage again and again (with German support) for renovation. It is the only remaining former German warship from the First World War and one of the oldest passenger ships in service in the world.
• A mineral described in 1957 by Thure Georg Sahama and Kai Hy Töpfen was named in his honour "Götzenit".

Trees and plants named in his honour

• Cineraria Götzenii
• Dombeya Götzenii
• Pycnostachya Götzenii
• Rubus Götzenii
• Schefflera Götzenii
• Senecio Götzenii (up to 4 meters high)
• Vernonia Götzenii

Works (selection)

• Durch Afrika von Ost nach West, Berlin 1895 (PDF)
• Graf von Götzens Reise von Pangani bis zum Kongo, in: "Denkschrift, betreffend die Verwendung des Afrikafonds", 1896
• Deutsch-Ostafrika im Aufstand 1905/06, Berlin 1909 (PDF)