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This is a list of former German colonies and protectorates (German: Schutzgebiete) established by the German Empire, Brandenburg-Prussia and the Habsburg Monarchy. This list may be incomplete, you can help by expanding it.
Brandenburg–Prussian colonies
These were colonies unsuccessfully settled by Brandenburg-Prussia (part of the Holy Roman Empire realm), after 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 colonization 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.
South America
- Klein-Venedig,1528–1545
Habsburg colonies
These were colonies of the Habsburg Monarchy, part of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation realm until 1804, Austrian Empire after 1804, Austria-Hungary from 1867 to the end of World War I.
- Banquibazar & Cabelon (1719/23–1744/50)[1]
- Nicobar islands (1778–1783)[2]
- Tientsin concession (1901–1917)
Imperial German 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:
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- 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 the Belgian mandate period.
- Wituland (1885–1890): Part of Kenya since 1890.
- Kionga Triangle: since 1920 (earlier occupied) part of 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 the following.
- 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)
- French Cameroun, which became present Cameroon.
- Togoland (1884–1914): after World War I it separated into
- A British part (Ghana-Westteil), which joined Ghana.
- A French part, which became Togo republic, according to the Treaty of Versailles concluding World War I.
- Kamerun (1884–1914): after World War I, separated into the following.
Pacific
These were German colonies in the Pacific:
- 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.
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China
These Treaty ports were German concessions in China, leased to it by the Qing Dynasty:
See also
- German colonization of the Americas
- German colonial empire
- German colonial projects before 1871
- Heligoland-Zanzibar Treaty
- Postage stamps and postal history of the German colonies
- New Swabia
- Ernst Thälmann Island
References
- ^ "Ostend East India Company". WorldStatesmen.org. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
- ^ "Index of Colonies and Dependencies". WorldStatesme.org. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
External links
Media related to Former colonies of Germany at Wikimedia Commons- German colonies (in German)
- WorldStatesmen
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