Schule: Schulzentrum Walle Schuljahr: 2013/14 Lange Reihe 81 Kurs: Leistungskurs und 28219 Bremen ein Grundkurs

Fach: Englisch und Geschichte

Fachlehrer: Inga Smets, Arne Dobrindt

Thema/Theme:Bremer Überseehandel und die Sklaverei im 19.

Jahrhundert

Oversea trading in Bremen and the slavery in the 19.

century

Leitfrage/Thesis:Inwieweit war Bremen in die Abschaffung der Sklaverei

involviert?

To which extent was Bremen involved in the abolition of

slavery?

Abgabetermin der Facharbeit: 23.05.2014

Eingereicht am: ________________

___________________________________ _________________________(Unterschriften der Schülerinnen) (Unterschriften der Lehrer)

Erteilte Note: Punkte:

___________________________________(Unterschriften der Lehrer)

By: Laura Hartrampf, Natalie Rezewski

Gliederung / Contents:

1. Introduction

2. Model: Situation in Bremen

2.1Hygienic conditions

2.2Class system and social life

2.3Social welfare

2.4Bremens parishes and the church life

2.5School and education

3. Incidents which affected the abolition

3.1 Quakerism as a movement against slavery in Great Britain and

America

3.1.1 Antoine Bénézet as an example for “Quakers against slavery”

and the British and American movement of abolition

3.2 The movement of abolition in Germany (Bremen)

3.3 The reaction towards the abolition in Bremen

4. Sources

4.1 Verordnung wider dem Sklavenhandel

4.2 Publication des Tractats mit Frankreich und Großbritannien

wegen Unterdrückung des Sclavenhandels

5. Conclusion

6. Source index

7. Attachment

7.1 Devision of working parts

7.2 Laura's primary source

7.3 Natalie's primary source

7.4 Other primary source

7.5 Newspapers from the Universitätsarchiv Bremen

1

Introduction

As we work in cooperation with the Robert-Bosch-Stiftung and the

University of Bremen, we did a research on the theme:

Oversea trading in Bremen and slavery in the 19th century.

In this research, our Thesis is:

To which extent was Bremen involved in the abolition of slavery?

Why did we choose this Thesis?During our preparation period, our class did a field excursion to Liverpool,

where we visited the International Slavery Museum. In that time and after,

we dealt with Martin Luther King and the racism in the USA during the

20th century. His undertakings against the ramifications of slavery

inspired us to aim for finding individuals or groups who were participating

in the abolition of slavery in Bremen.

Bremen and the slave tradeIn advance, one should know that Bremen was rather indirectly than

directly involved into the trade with slaves. This means that slavery was

not practiced in things like auctions where slaves were sold and oiled to

make them look more healthy etc., or that there were plantations where

slaves had to work or were kept in Bremen. But for example, the

production of and trade with chocolate or tobacco were very important for

the economy of Bremen and linked to the slave trade due to the growing

of cocoa and tobacco on plantations, on which slaves often had to work.

The chocolate of made of this cocoa could then be shipped and sold in

Bremen, e.g. chocolate by Hachéz.

2

Historical context and German Imperialism The part of the German abolition movement in our project draws on the

era of German imperialism. It refers to the German Missions moving to

Africa, by which their aim was to suppress the slave trade while they

converted the people of the African colonies Germany had to Christianity.

This was happening in and partly before the “experimental period” of the

German history of imperialism which lasted from about 1884 to 1890,

which outlined Germany’s first try of acquiring colonies in Africa.

Social Life in BremenIn the first half of the 19th century, Bremen was a very hygienic city and

had a traditional class system. Bremens inhabitants were family

orientated, and the social life they had was work and family. Church was

of high importance as they considered themselves as truly religious.

3

2. Model: Situation in Bremen 2.1 Hygienic conditionsIn the beginning of the 19th century, Bremen was still mediaevally shaped.

Its hygienic conditions were already in the mediaeval times progressive

with its channel systems, its green areas, its clean streets and yards and

the tidy population, Bremen had a very low rate on diseases. 1

Most of Bremens inhabitants had to be forced by law to wash themselves

or to air, as well as some measures that were taken to prevent an

outbreak, would have been in our eyes an impossibility. When there was a

sick person, this person would sleep on dirty sheets and a healthy person

would sleep next to them so that they would not be getting that illness as

bad or not at all. One outbreak of the cholera in 1834 was one of the

greatest outbreaks that ever occurred in Bremen. Most of the people who

died during that outbreak lived in poor regions. Those poor population had

at that times a brandy consumption of 24 bottles apiece.2

2.2 Class system and social lifeBut Bremens population had, despite this progressive hygienic conditions,

a retracted view on the class system. Although in an “Rath- und

Bürgerschluß” of 1806, which quotes that no one should be allowed to

bear a title that was not approved by the senate, this was extended to the

doctorate in 1820. Even though they had this order and the saying

“Bremer Borger” which was the highest achievement for an inhabitant of

Bremen, it did not change anything about the class system.3

The first, the upper class, were mostly the senators and doctors with their

families. The second class comprised the traders and their families. The

third class, or second middle class, were the lower traders and craftsmen

with their families. The lower class combined the waggoners, day

labourers, maidservants and other servants. Richness of intellect,

intelligence and science were the highest priorities and before all of that,

the government, after that came the trade. Education was of no

importance and most of the tradesman could not see that their sons

wanted to go to an university. 4 41 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 22.

2 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 40 f.

3 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 52 f.

4 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S.55-58

The senate had the greatest influence and the members were allowed to

keep the jobs they had before becoming a senator. On the same rank as

the senators were the academics, and in that category the highest

position occupied the lawyers, then the pastors, the doctors of theology

and medicine and at the end the academic teachers.5

The apprenticeship to become a merchant in the 19 th century was really

harsh. It had a military like structure but that only in the beginning, after

that the apprentice, if he sprang from a rich family, he could join the social

live, such as going to the theatre, taking lessons in horseback riding or

visiting balls. Rather hard was the life as an apprentice when he did not

really want to become a merchant, and got forced by his parents.

Following the apprenticeship came a business- and educational trip. Due

to their free time after finishing a trade, a merchant or tradesmen had

enough time to give themselves up to interests they had, for example in

science or arts.6

Bremens economic boom, that was in the beginning of the 19 th century,

had also an impact on the higher classes. As England was an example

for them, they built Clubs with reading rooms, casinos and ballrooms. 7

Also there was a family tradition, a family day where all family members

would meet. Most of the times the traditions were strict adhered, but in

some families they were not and a person could go to the meeting at

what ever time he or she would have liked.8

If you wanted to work in the industry you had to prove that you were born

in marriage, otherwise you would not be able to get a job. That was

because the craftsmen, as what they thought, had a high understanding

of honour, and were proud of what and who they were, and that they were

such honest persons. That was how they wanted the recruits to be too if

they wanted to become a craftsman.9

55 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 58-67

6 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 67-767 G. Garbrecht, Neunzehntes Jahrhundert nach unserer Zeitrechnung (1789-1914),

http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~bremhist/Bremen-19Jahrhundert.html , zuletzt besucht:

20.05.2014, 18:28

8 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 76-799 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 80-87

“Unruhen, Verstöße gegen das Gesetz hervorzurufen, würden in Bremen

schwer halten. Man ist daselbst durchweg praktisch und vertraut mit seinem

Vermögen dem Gesetz. Jeder hat etwas zu verlieren und am Ende nichts zu

gewinnen.”10

Just like the quote says, it hardly gave any unrest in Bremen. If there ever

was an unrest, it was of no political importance, but rather socially or

economically driven, and then the unrest got put down by the military and

the police, sent by the senate .11

If there were persons in Bremen that were not very much appreciated,

then you can say that this were the workers, not the tradesmen but every

other hard and physically working person counted to those. One of the

biggest groups among those who did not got appreciation were the

servants12

But the so called “Maskopsträger”, who were part of the working class at

the “Schlachte” had a good life for workmen, although they had almost no

money, they had a solidarity among themselves that no one had to starve.

Almost everyone had more than one job and if he was a hard worker and

also prudently, he could make ends meet good.13

The citizens of Bremen had no interest in the political life.

With no access to any political press, the lower classes were also not

allowed to join the “Bürgerkonventen”.

That the political life was so inward had to do with the Carlsbad

Decrees, the censorship authorities of Bremen were asked to verify the

political reliability of a newspaper before it got printed. Almost every

newspaper would only contain some economical ads and mostly light

entertainment for the people such as crossword puzzles and poems.14

6

10 Zitat nach E. Beuermann, Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 98

11 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 98 f.12 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 108 f.13 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 113 f.14 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 138 f.

2.3 Social welfareBecause of the brandy consumption and economic situation, a lot of the

parents had not enough money for their families. For those people there

was the “Armeninstitut”, decrepit people for example received an monthly

payment, other social aids for example were free medical aid, clothing or

soup. In the beginning only the citizens that really needed help, went to

the “Armeninstitut”, but later that changed. Suddenly people who had

enough money to go out in pups or dancing halls, wanted to get social

aids. And others forced their daughters to become prostitutes to increase

the families income.15

2.4 Bremens parishes and the church life Most of Bremens inhabitants belonged to the Reformed confession, but in

the first half of the 19th century the growth of the population in Bremen

due to immigrants, mostly from the closer cities, changed that. Now more

than half of the people living in Bremen belonged to the Lutheran

confession. This change in population did not have any impact on the

Catholics, they were still a small group. 16

Bremen had eight parishes or so called “Kirchspiele”. The “Unser lieben

Frauen”, “St. Martini”, “St. Ansgarii” and “ St. Stephani” parishes could be

found in the “Altstadt” and the Reformed confession would go to those.

For the Lutheran confession the “St.-Petri-Gemeinde” was the main

contact point for the whole city. The sixth parish could be found in the

“Neustadt”, the “St.-Pauli-Kirchspiel” and the seventh and eighth parish

were located in the “Vorstadt”, “St.-Remberti-Kirchspiel” and “St.-

Michaelis-Kirchspiel”.17

Even so the dispute between Lutheran and Reformed was no more in the

19th century, still the Reformed got privileged and had more privilege over

the Lutheran. When there was a free position in the Council, a reformed

townsman would get the job, although there was no law that said it should

be like that.

And if we talk about the Catholics, they first got the citizenship in Bremen

under the French flag in 1807, but wholly equated did they become in

1823.18 715 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 112 f.16 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 12417 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 124 f.18 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 125 f.

In the beginning of the 19th century a new persuasion developed, the

pietistic Orthodox, which members made out around a quarter of the

educated and in a whole a tenth of Bremens citizens.

In the years between 1827 and 1837 there were first disputes between

the Orthodox and the Reformed. The winner of those was the new

religious movement, with its sermons it caught the attention of the middle

and lower classes, which already weren´t happy anymore and were not

going to accept their living conditions any longer. A pastor named

Krummacher said around 1845 that “all humans are the same before God

and that neither wealth nor poverty will matter to him”. This is just one

example that shows how the disputes between the two main persuasions,

and how they had an effect on the unhappy citizens.19

2.5 School and education The school question in Bremen was since the beginning of the 19 th

century a wound spot, its popular school system was highly undeveloped.

A deputation that had to report and debate on how to make the 53

popular schools better got originated in 1819. The schools which had

been subordinated to the “Kirchspielen” did not have any need for a

reformation. Some popular schools had really good teachers but no

financial resources so they could effort sub teachers, as the

“Kirchspielschulen”. As they had not enough financial resources to get

sub teachers, the teachers already working in the schools had to tutor the

kids from poor families privately in the afternoon or evenings. 20

Free Schools allocated those children whose parents were not able to

afford the school fee, a place in their school. The function of a so called

“Klippschule” was, to teach boys and girls the basics of reading, writing

and arithmetic, as they would go on to the “Kirchspielschulen”.

Still there was no compulsory schooling in sight. 21

8

19 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S.127-13120 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 102 f.21 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 103

In the following years the citizens of Bremen asked over and over again

for a statutory compulsory schooling, which got not granted until the first

April in 1844. But not until 1845, when every child that was required to

attend school, got registered most of the children went to school. For

those children whose parents needed them to work in the factories so

they had enough money, still applied the law from 1842. 22

In 1837, under the leadership of Johann Gottlob Wilhelm Steckel, an

educational association the “Euphrosyne” got originated. This association

was first only to discuss critical topics, which was not easy done as all

members had different educational backgrounds.

But they all supported the opinion that with enough education for every

citizen of Bremen, the social and economic circumstances could be fixed.

After Steckels death and under the leadership of Feldmann a majority of

the members took a left-wing view on matters. Out of the context that

everyone had the same rights grew the saying “Gleichberechtigung

aller”23

On January 17th in 1848 another educational association was formed, the

“Bürgerverein”, with the same catchphrase as the “Euphrosyne”

“Gleichberechtigung aller”, for the middle and lower classes.24

About two years, in 1846, before the “Bürgerverein”, and one year before

the “Euphrosyne” was formed, the “Verein Vorwärts” was originated. This

association decided, under the leadership of Dr. Karl Theodor Andree, to

built up a new club called “Vorwärts”. This was a club for cigar workers

and on the 20th December of 1846, 144 members had joined. The

members of this club had a variety of different educational offers, such as

writing, drawing and in languages. Every person, no matter what class

was their own, were all welcomed in this club. In the end of 1847 the club

counted 692 members.

The second verse of a song from 1849 was a good description of what

the club was all about25:

922 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 10423 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 120 f.24 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 12225 Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 122 f.

“Wie nun gleich ist jeder Stand,

so ist gleich auch jedes Land ,

ob aus Polen oder Böhmen,

ob aus Sachsen oder Bremen.

Wenn der Bursche nur ist keck,

und das Herz am rechten Fleck.”26

3. Incidents which affected the abolition

Originally and affected by our trip to Liverpool, we planned to search

persons or organizations that were taking action against the slave trade

and against how slaves were treated. Trying to correlate this to Bremen,

we had to face first obstacles: there was really not much material to find

about this related to Bremen. Also, the main power against slavery

seemed to come from Great Britain and “the Americas”27, which, together

with new ideologies started by the French Revolution (even though the

repeal of slavery was not the main aim of the French Revolution),

seemed to sprawl over their countrie's borders and found more and more

supporters (mostly in European countries) rather than there was a “true”

anti-slavery movement in Germany itself.

However, the “anti-slavery thought” had existed in the 1700's already,

inspired by the en-lighteners of mainly the French Revolution and the

“prohibition” through the contradiction of the bible (for those countries

which had a Christian orientation and were more directly involved into the

slave trade), meaning that there is a “rule” saying that everybody is equal

in front of God. But this thought was firstly, for example in the case of

British people being enslaved in the 18th century (and before that time),

only in relation to the own religion group or nation, so that the British saw

themselves as a folk who were born free and therefore, were not allowed

to be enslaved by another country or religious group.

10

26 Zitat nach einer „Vorwärts“-Dichtung, Bremens Bevölkerung, Herrausgeber: Friedrich Prüser, 1957, S. 123

27 Term for North and South America

3.1 Quakerism as a movement against slavery in Great Britain and America

The so-called “Quakers” founded their “Society of Friends” in the early

1600's, affected by the doctrine of the “Inward Light”28, which was studied

by George Fox, an English lay preacher who never actually intended on

founding a new society. Their main beliefs were strong obedience to God

(related to communication with and receiving signs from God) and the

equality of all people in front of God. They understood themselves as a

strictly Christian-minded society and were punished for their beliefs in

terms of being taken as a prisoner, torture and execution or religious

persecution. This lead to a large spate of Quakers emigrating to the, in

that times still belonging to Great Britain, north American colonies29 from

the late 17th and the 18th century. Their point against the slave trade and

the holding of slaves (even though some Quakers seemed to hold slaves

as well, as suggested: „In den 1750er Jahren setzte sich John Woolman

(1720-1772) in Philadelphia gegen den Sklavenhandel und die

Sklavenhaltung unter Quäkern ein und 1758 verboten die Quäker

Philadelphias ein Engagement ihrer Glaubensbrüder im

Sklavenhandel”30) was that the slave trade and -holding seemed very

unchristian to them, speaking of general equality of people. Hence, in

1688, they made their first resolution against slavery in Germantown,

Pennsylvania.

11

28 The “Inward Light” refers to the strong God-obedience and the belief of communicating or receiving signs from God.

29 e.g. New Jersey, Rhode Island, Delaware, North Carolina and Pennsylvania30 Bader-Zaar, “Abolitionismus im transatlantischen Raum: Organisationen und

Interaktionen der Bewegung zur Abschaffung der Sklaverei im späten 18. und 19. Jahrhundert”, http://ieg-ego.eu/de/threads/transnationale-bewegungen-und-organisationen/internationale-soziale-bewegungen/birgitta-bader-zaar-abolitionismus-im-transatlantischen-raum-abschaffung-der-sklaverei#DerBeginnderAbolitionsbewegunginNordamerikaundGrobritannienbiszumVerbotdesSklavenhandelsimJahr1807 18.05.2014, 20:16 Uhr

3.1.1 Antoine Bénézet as an example for “Quakers against slavery” and the British and American movement of abolition

In 1713, Antoine Bénézet was born into a french Huguenot31 family in St.

Quentin, France. This religion had been suppressed by France's

absolutistic monarch, the churches and the society which led to religious

persecution32 in the country, of which the Bénézet family was also

affected. Hence, the family escaped to Rotterdam, England where

Antoine (actually Anthony Benezet, as the family had changed their

names) was present at the “Friends School” in Wandsworth, which, by the

name, seemed to be a school that had an orientation based on the beliefs

of the Quakers. As there was punishment from the British State for being

a member of the Quaker's religion, the Bénézets emigrated to

Pennsylvania in 1731, where Anthony became a member of the “Society

of Friends”. Later, in 1736, he married Joyce Marriot, who was the

Philadelphia Quaker minister. From then on to 1739, he tried to work in

many different branches until (in 1739) he found his “true profession” was

to be an educator, which he became. As an educator, he was teaching in

Germantown, afterwards at the Quaker School in Philadelphia and

meanwhile, published a book and other writings, concentrating on the

importance of a balanced education. Then, he started giving classes for

Afro-Americans in 1750, founded a school for girls in Philadelphia (as it

was rather unlikely in this time that girls had a chance to attend school

due to the “belief” that they had to educate children, do the household,

the cooking etc.) in 1754 and finally, in 1770, could convince Philadelphia

Quakers to open up a school for African Americans. Concluding, his point

against slavery was that he did not believe that people, according to their

skin color, origin, religion or culture, are not worth as much as people with

another skin color or origin etc. Also, he thought that this discrimination

was not fitting into christian beliefs, as it makes people with darker skin

being “worth less” than people with light skin tones as well as it did not

regard general justice. All in all, one can say that Antoine Bénézet had a

1231 Term for french protestants from the 16th century, whose beliefs lay in Calvinism,

which is a doctrine showing God in a way of having the “ultimate power” over people's life and about their destiny (going to heaven or hell).

32 Chasing people for their religious beliefs, often including violence and torture.

great impact on the British movement of abolition as he put himself out for

convincing the Quakers Headquarters in London, England to abolish

slavery and did a number of writings against slavery. The following quotes

shall give an account of his opinion about the thought that Africans were

less worth than “white” people.

"To live in ease and plenty by the toil of those whom violence and cruelty

have put in our power, is neither consistent with Christianity nor common

justice..." 33

"I can with truth and sincerity declare, that I have found amongst the

negroes as great a variety of talents as amongst a like number of whites;

and I am bold to assert, that the notion entertained by some, that the

blacks are inferior in their capacities, is a vulgar prejudice, founded on the

pride of ignorance of their lordly masters, who have kept their slaves at

such a distance, as to be unable to form a right judgment of them." 34

The first quote describes how he felt that slavery is unchristian and

unjust. In the second quote, he talks about slaves not being less worth

than “white” people, which he proves by saying that he has made the

experience of “blacks” being just as valuable and talented as “white”

people. Also, he claims that the thought of inferiority is made by the

slave's masters keeping them at such distance that they could not make

the experiences in order to make up a true opinion about them.

13

33 E2BN, Anthony Benezet (1713-1784): The Teacher, http://abolition.e2bn.org/people_27.html 17.05.2014, 20:41 Uhr

34 Ibidem, 17.05.2014, 21:58 Uhr

The above picture35, taken out of “ Historical poetical and pictorial

American scenes”, written by J.W. Barber and published in 1850, shows

Antoine Bénézet

teaching two black children. The painter is unknown. Mr. Bénézet was

probably in about his late 30's up to his late 50's as he was teaching

African-American children at his own home in between this time and

opened up a new school for African-Americans in 1770, when he was 57.

The picture is set up in a kind of front porch with a tree showing up in the

background. Also, there is a table standing beside with a book and some

papers lying on top of it. The focus of the picture is on Bénézet sitting on

a stool, pointing up his one finger and holding a book, which is lying on

his lap with the other hand. He is dressed pretty wealthy, wearing boots, a

pair of trousers, a shirt and a coat. Next to him are two African-American

children who are not dressed as wealthy, but still not poorly. The left child

seems to be a girl as she is wearing a dress, looking up to Bénézet. The

other child seems to be a boy who is wearing trousers and a shirt which

seems to be roughly plugged into his trousers. His clothes appear to be a

little bit oversized and he is standing with his back being kind of crooked

which is what makes him look poor compared to the girl next to him and

Mr. Bénézet. Also, the sun is shining on the part of the porch where the

children stand. 14

35 For source see Source index, subchapter 6.3 Image source

The sunlight “pointing” on the standing children can probably be

understood as a symbol of “Gods grace”

(as Bénézet was a strictly christian person) to his attitude about the

“inferiority” of black people, keeping in mind that he thought slavery was

against general justice and Christianity. The intention of the picture is

probably to show how tolerant Bénézet was and how he embraced the

thought of equality of all people, meaning that he saw that the legitimation

of the slave trade through darker skin color, peoples origin and their

religion was not a valid legitimation at all because as they are human

beings as well as white people, they should not be worth any less.

3.2 The movement of abolition in Germany (Bremen)

The German movement of abolition did not actually seem to have existed

until roughly the 1880's, when inspired by the french example of abolition,

in which Charles Lavigerie36 took great part. What Lavigerie did was to

found french-catholic missions in Africa to counter slavery37, also aiming

to change the African religious beliefs into catholic ones. As the German

abolition was inspired by this, one can already assume it was mainly

consisting out of new missions being established and spreading

Christianity.

The most-known of these missions were the “Afrika Verein deutscher

Katholiken”, the “Evangelischer Afrikaverein” and the “Bremen Mission”.

The “Afrika Verein deutscher Katholiken” was established in 1888 in

Cologne, Germany. It was actually established to convert the basic

religious convictions in the German colonies in Africa, so that they were

forced to Christianity.

15

36 Charles Martial Allemand Lavigerie(1825-1892): a french cardinal and archbishop of Carthage and primas, see in: Ökonomisches Heiligenlexikon, Charles-Martial-Allemand Lavigerie, http://www.heiligenlexikon.de/BiographienC/Charles-Martial-Allemand_Lavigerie.html 19.05.2014, 16:30

37 Universial lexicon decademic, Lavigerie http://universal_lexikon.deacademic.com/265235/Lavigerie (19.05.2014, 16:33 Uhr)

This process ascribes to the German legitimation for colonialism, which

was based on the thought of inferiority and backwardness of the African

people. As a result, this lead to the idea that the African people should

assimilate to the European (German) culture as, in the minds of the

missionaries, they were “worse off without them”, meaning that the

intention of these missions and partly the legitimation for the colonialism

was to “help” them by becoming civilized through converting the African

people to Christianity.

Simultaneously, there were built up shelters or stations where sick people

were getting medication, but also orphanages and “education houses”,

where probably the converting towards Christianity on children was

deepened. Another legitimation, or maybe even serious thought that has

developed throughout the establishment of the mission stations which

kind of refers to the idea of “helping” the Africans, was the idea of God

wanting the missions to spread Christianity on the African continent, so

the actually bad thing of taking people's rights to live in their own culture

and have their own religious beliefs was turned into completely the other

way around into a good thing by doing “good” through helping them

become civilized and aiming for the abolition of slavery. The thought of

doing good by fulfilling the wish of God to convert Africans to Christianity

was also used as a method for taking donations from Germany to gain

more money in order to be able to open up the orphanages, medication

stations/shelters and education houses.

The “Evangelischer Afrikaverein”, founded in 1893 in Berlin, had a similar

function to the “Afrika Verein deutscher Katholiken”. It was supposed to

spread Christianity on the African continent and through this, improve the

social situation and the compliance of human rights in the German

colonies and to participate in the abolition of slavery38.

16

38 Schnee,in: Deutsches Kolonial-Lexikon, Band 1, S. 593, Evangelischer Afrikaverein, http://www.ub.bildarchiv-dkg.uni-frankfurt.de/Bildprojekt/Lexikon/php/suche_db.php?suchname=Evangelischer_Afrikaverein 19.05.2014, 21:24 Uhr

In comparison, the “Bremen Mission” (meaning the “Norddeutsche

Mission” with the central office in Bremen) acted somehow differently, but

still, until 1884 one of their focuses was about bringing (evangelic)

Christianity to the African continent. The mission was founded in 1819,

the members who would go abroad as “missionaries” were mainly church

ministers from Bremen, merchants and communities. But what changed

in 1884, with the acquisition of the, then German colony, Togoland, and

the general development of the German trade (as Germany was a late

colonial power), was that a man called Franz Michael Zahn was opposing

to the mixing of colonial policy and religious beliefs. He focused on the

freedom of every individual, tolerance and acceptance towards the

language of the African people and the African church.39

3.3 Reaction towards the abolition in Bremen

For this part of our project, we went to the “Bremer Pressearchiv” at the

University of Bremen and searched several old newspapers, aiming to

find out about the people's attitude towards slave trading and their

reaction as the slave trade was abolished.

Having found some useful seeming newspapers, we read through quite a

number of different kinds of a large time period, starting 1816 and ending

at 1865. There were papers which concentrated mainly on entertaining

people and others which concentrated on reporting about local news and

politics. The “Bremer Bürgerfreund” for example belongs to one of those

that concentrated on entertaining and lecturing the people. We thought of

it as a newspaper which might contain opinions about the slave trade, or

rather the abolition of the slave trade, as the title let us expect it would be

based on the people's opinion about current situations, conflicts etc. But

we noticed quickly that its contents pretty much consisted of stories that

had a moral and were supposed to lecture people as well as of helpful

advices, but it did not really report about political things or general news.

17

39 Unsere Mission 2014, Wer oder was ist die “Bremen Mission”?, http://zeitgemaess.unsere-mission.de/Bremen-Mission.102.0.html?&L=1, 22.05.2014, 22:46 Uhr

Another paper we dealt with was the “Bremer Tageblatt”. This

concentrated on economy and finances, politics, latest news as well as

on literature and partly on entertainment through stories and extracts of

diaries. All in all, this newspaper reminded more of those we know today,

including general news etc.

In comparison, the “Bremer Bürgerfreund” was more a newspaper as we

imagined older newspapers to be as it contained more “old-fashioned”

stories or advices and is more comparable to today’s magazines rather

than to most “standardized” newspapers today which often contain a lot,

or at least more, political, economical and in general more news about

what is happening in the world, than this one.

A small number of the papers also included side notes which informed

the readers about prices of things like sugar, tobacco and other groceries

that were originally grown or produced in other countries increasing or

decreasing. This was the only hint we had found about slavery in the

press of Bremen. Therefore, one could conclude that there was not

constantly, or not even at all, reported about the slave trade in the press

of Bremen. Some of the newspapers even had information in them about

news from further away countries as Great Britain, France, the US or

Russia, which makes the non-appearance of slave trade in the news

even more questionable, as for example Great Britain and the US are

countries that were, unlike Bremen, even directly involved into the slave

trade.

18

4. SourcesDie Scans der folgenden Quellen stammen u.a. aus dem Bremer

Staatsarchiv und aus einem Buch aus Google Books. Diese sind im

Anhang zu finden.

4.1 Verordnung wider dem Sklavenhandel

Die vorausgehende Erlassung "Verordnung wider dem Sklavenhandel"

wurde am 26.Juli 1837, in Lübeck von der Rathsversammlung verfasst.

Es ist eine Primärquelle, die sich mit dem Sklavenhandel auf Lübecker

Schiffen und Gebiet befasst.

In der Erlassung steht, dass jeder Sklave frei ist, wenn er ein

lübeckisches Schiff betritt, das ihn in ein Gebiet bringt, wo der

Sklavenhandel nicht geduldet wird und als solcher, freier Mensch, auch

die Rechte eines freien Menschen besitzt. Wer den Sklaven jedoch daran

hindert frei zu sein, hat mit einer geringen Geld- und/oder

Gefängnisstrafe zu rechen. Weiterhin ist auch der „wirkliche“

Sklavenhandel verboten, und wer vor dem Auslaufen oder auf hoher See

überführt wird, wie er versucht diesen zu betreiben oder nur ein Schiff für

den Sklavenhandel auszustatten, hat mit einer sehr hohen Geld-

und/oder Gefängnisstrafe zu rechnen. Derjenige, der

gefangengenommen wird, hat sich vor dem Staat zu verantworten und

wenn dieser den Fall ablehnt, gelten die zuvor genannten Strafen.

Dieser Erlass wurde aufgrund der vorausgegangenen Verträge zur

„Abschaffung des Sklavenhandels“ zwischen den Hansestädten40,

Frankreich und Großbritannien in den Jahren 1831 und 1833 im

November und März derselben, verordnet.

Großbritannien hatte bereits im Jahre 1807 eine Verordnung erlassen, die

den Sklavenhandel verbot und doch dauerte es 30 Jahre, bis auch in

Bremen und den anderen Hansestädten ein solches Gesetz in Kraft

gegeben wurde. 19

40 Die Hansestädte waren freie Handelsstädte, die in der Nähe eines Hafens mit Meerzugang gelegen haben. Zu dieses zählten Hamburg, Bremen und Lübeck.

4.2 Publication des Tractats mit Frankreich und Großbritannien wegen Unterdrückung des Sclavenhandels

Bei der vorliegenden Quelle, entnommen aus „Sammlung der

Verordnungen und Proclame des Senats der Freien Hansestadt Bremen

im Jahre 1838“, Seite 16 f., herausgegeben von der Schünemann

Druckerei im Jahr 1839, handelt es sich um eine Primärquelle eines am

18. Juli 1838 veröffentlichten Beschlusses des Bremer Senats. Grob

zusammengefasst besteht ihr Inhalt darin, es öffentlich zu machen, dass

nach dem erlassenen Strafgesetz wider des Sklavenhandels 1837 ein

Vertrag zwischen Frankreich, Großbritannien und den deutschen

Hansestädten Hamburg, Lübeck und Bremen entstanden ist, durch

welchen die Hansestädte sich bis zum 22. März 1833 der Vereinbarung

zur vollständigen Unterdrückung des Sklavenhandels angeschlossen

hatten. Weiterhin geht es aber auch darum, dass Schiffsfahrer, die diesen

Städten angehörten, sich nun einen Beleg verschaffen mussten, welcher

bestätigt, dass ihre Schiffe frei von der Sklaverei seien. Damit ist gemeint,

dass keine Sklaven, und auch keine direkt von Sklaven gefertigten Waren

verschifft werden durften.

Zu der Verschiffung von Sklaven und der direkt mit dem Sklavenhandel

verbundenen Waren wurde 1968 nochmals ein Zeitungsartikel

veröffentlicht, in welchem geschildert wird, dass noch lange nicht alle

deutschen Städte ein solches Verbot wie das oben geschilderte erlassen

hatten.41

2041 Siehe in: Ausschnitt aus No. 7680 der Weserzeitung am 2. Juli 1868, Aktennummer

9,5-0-1403, Staatsarchiv Bremen

5. ConclusionDuring the process of our project, we formed the opinion that there were

tries to bring the German abolition movement forward, which turned out to

fail. On the one hand, a cause was that the German missions aimed to

abolish slavery, but on the other hand, through their ideas of converting

people to Christianity, violated human rights from the present point of

view. Even though there was a prohibition against the slave trade, due to

economical reasons, the slave trade seemed to have been pursued under

different flags.

Furthermore, there are left open questions to us regarding:

a) The presence of the abolition of slave trade in the press of Bremen

because in the papers from 1816-1865, there were no traces to be found.

This could be a result of:

-The mere indirect involvation of Bremen into the slave trade because this

was no matter of interest.

- This topic was not liked to be seen discussed in public.

- The awareness of the involvation into the slave trade was nonexistent

in the population. This can be refuted by a public prohibition against the

slave trade which was published in 1837.

Another questionable point is:

b) how it was possible that it took the German states 30 years longer than

England to abolish slavery.

In direct contrast to the British and American abolition movement, the

German one not only collided with the human rights, but also “lame” and

seemed to have less of an achievement.

This can be explained through the nonexistent interest into the abolition

of the slave trade as the city of Bremen made economical profit from it.

Thus, Bremen did not seem to have had an impact on the abolition of

slavery, but made it worse, which can also be shown by the late anti-

slavery movement.

21

6. Source index6.1 Literature indexVeröffentlichung aus dem Staatsarchiv der Freien Hansestadt Bremen.

Herausgegeben von Friedrich Prüser. Heft 25, Hans-Ludwig Schaefer,

Bremens Bevölkerung in der ersten Hälfte des neunzehnten

Jahrhunderts. Walter Dorn Verlag – Bremen

6.2 Internet Sources1) Bader-Zaar, Ablolitionismus im transatlantischen Raum:

Organisationen und Interaktionen der Bewegung zur Abschaffung der

Sklaverei im späten 18. und 19. Jahrhundert, http://ieg-

ego.eu/de/threads/transnationale-bewegungen-und-

organisationen/internationale-soziale-bewegungen/birgitta-bader-zaar-

abolitionismus-im-transatlantischen-raum-abschaffung-der-

sklaverei#DerBeginnderAbolitionsbewegunginNordamerikaundGrobritann

ienbiszumVerbotdesSklavenhandelsimJahr1807 18.05.2014, 20:16 Uhr

2) Delvaux de Fenffe, Sklaverei,

http://www.planet-

wissen.de/politik_geschichte/menschenrechte/sklaverei/ 22.05.2014,

23:14 Uhr

3) E2BN – East of England Broadback Network and MLA East of

England, Anthony Benezet (1713-1784): The Teacher,

http://abolition.e2bn.org/people_27.html 22.05.2014, 23:06 Uhr

4) Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland, Hugenotten,

http://www.ekd.de/calvin/wirken/hugenotten.html 22.05.2014, 23:43 Uhr

5) G. Garbrecht, Neunzehntes Jahrhundert nach unserer Zeitrechnung

(1789-1914),

http://www-user.uni-bremen.de/~bremhist/Bremen-19Jahrhundert.html

zuletzt besucht: 20.05.2014, 18:28 Uhr

22

6) Johannes von Abendroth, Afrika-Verein deutscher Katholiken,

http://www.kopfwelten.org/kp/institutionen/afrikaverein/ 22.05.2014, 23:11

Uhr

7) Sammlung der Verordnungen und Proclame des Senats der Freien

Hansestadt Bremen, Seite 16 f., http://books.google.de/books?

id=i9dDAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA16...ge&q=bremen%20vertrag%20unterdr

%C3%BCckung%20sklavenhandel&f=false#v=snippet&q=bremen

%20vertrag%20unterdr%C3%BCckung%20sklavenhandel&f=false

22.05.2014, 23:19 Uhr

8) Schnee, Deutsches Kolonial-Lexikon (1920), Band I, S. 593,

http://www.ub.bildarchiv-dkg.uni-

frankfurt.de/Bildprojekt/Lexikon/php/suche_db.php?

suchname=Evangelischer_Afrikaverein 22.05.2014, 23:17 Uhr

9) Unsere Mission 2014, Wer oder was ist die “Bremen Mission”?,

http://zeitgemaess.unsere-mission.de/Bremen-Mission.102.0.html?&L=1

22.05.2014, 22:16 Uhr

10) Quakers in the world, Anthony Benezet,

http://www.quakersintheworld.org/quakers-in-action/60 17.05.2014, 19:34

Uhr

11) Quakers.network, Quäker – Geschichte,

http://www.quakers.net/privat/andreas/quaker/histor.html 12.05.2014,

16:08 Uhr

12) Quakers Online, What do Quakers believe?,

http://www.quakers.org/beliefs.php 22.05.2014, 23:30 Uhr

6.3 Image source http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benezet.jpg

23

7. Attachment7.1 Devision of working parts:

Laura: Chapter 2, including all subchapters of chapter 2 and subchapter

4.1

Natalie: Chapter 3, including all subchapters of chapter 3 and subchapter

4.2

Together: Introduction and Conclusion

24

7.2 Laura's primary source (source 4.1)

25

26

7.3 Natalie's primary source (source 4.2)

27

28

7.4 other primary source

29

Weitere Primärquellen, Universitätsarchiv Bremen

Zeitung Jahrgang Mikrofilm OriginalAllgemeine Wochenchronik

1854-1855 2488 /

Bremer Abendblatt

1842-1843 2478 /

Bremer Kirchenbote

1842-1847 /

Bremer Tageblatt 1855-1859 2501 / Bremer Stadtbote

1839 2653 /

Bremer Volksblatt

1848 2653 /

Bremer Conversationsblatt

1838-1839 2602 /

Bremer Volksfreund

1849-1852 2521 /

Bürgerfreund 1816-1866 3005 /Courier an der Weser

1846-1893 2367 /

Morgen Zeitung 1854 2487 /Patriot 1838 2448, 2653 / Politisches Wochenblatt

1832 /

Reform 1848 2528 /

30