Franz Adolf Eduard Luderitz

27/10/2026

This historical illustration plate titled "Unsere Schutztruppen in Afrika" ("Our Protection Troops in Africa") showcases the official military uniforms worn by the German imperial Schutztruppe (protection troops/colonial forces) and native personnel across various regions of the German Colonial Empire in Africa circa 1899–1900.

​Illustrated left to right: ​Südwest-Afrika (South-West Africa / modern-day Namibia):
​Reiter: Horseman / Trooper
​Offizier: Officer
​Ost-Afrika (East Africa / modern-day Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi):
​Offizier: Officer
​Sudanese: Sudanese soldier (indigenous mercenary/soldier serving in the Schutztruppe)
​Kamerun (Cameroon):
​Offizier: Officer
​Unteroffizier im Drell- und weißen Anzug: Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) in drill and white uniform

​Illustration by ​artist Richard Knötel (signed R. Knötel 1899 in the bottom right hand corner)

Learn more on the life and times of Richard Knötel in the link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Kn%C3%B6tel

26/10/2026

The German Protection Force (Schutztruppe)
for South-West Africa.

​​Publisher: Verlag von Moritz Ruhl (Leipzig)
​Date: 1894.

​Plate 1: The German Protection Force for South-West Africa (Die Deutsche Schutztruppe für Südwest-Africa)
​Subtitles & Figure Labels (Left to Right):
​im Mantel – In overcoat
​Offiziere / Parade-Anzug – Officers / Parade uniform
​Drill-Anzug – Drill uniform
​Feld-Anzug – Field uniform
​Soldat / Feld-Anzug – Soldier / Field uniform
​Trompeter / Cord-(Feld-)Anzug – Bugler / Cord (field) uniform
​Unteroffizier / Drell-Anzug – Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) / Drill uniform

​Plate 2: Uniforms and Personnel
​Figure Labels (Left to Right):
​Gef[reiter] / Drell-Anzug – Lance Corporal / Drill uniform
​Unteroffizier im Mantel – Non-Commissioned Officer in overcoat
​Sanitätsgeh[ülfe] / Drell-Anzug – Medical orderly / Drill uniform
​Unteroffizier / Parade-Anzug – Non-Commissioned Officer / Parade uniform
​Reitern[at?] / Cord-Anzug – Mounted soldier / Cord uniform
​Zahlmeister-Aspirant – Paymaster Aspirant / Candidate
​Feldwebel / Drell-Anzug – Sergeant-Major / Drill uniform

​Plate 3: Rank and Other Insignia
​Top Section Header: Die Grad- und sonstigen Abzeichen. Abzeichen der Offiziere. (Rank and other insignia. Officers' insignia.)
​Shoulder Boards (Left to Right):
​Major – Major
​Hauptmann / Rittmeister – Captain / Cavalry Captain
​Arzt – Medical Doctor
​Portepée – Sword knot / Portepee (officer's sword strap)
​Achselschnur der Mannschaften – Enlisted men's aiguillette / shoulder cord
​Collar and Sleeve Rank Insignia (Cord Uniform):
​Sergeant – Sergeant
​Unteroffizier – Non-Commissioned Officer
​Sanitätsgehülfe – Medical orderly
​Gefreiter – Lance Corporal
​Schwalbennester für Trompeter – Swallow's nests (winglets) for buglers

​Plate 4: Drill Uniform Insignia and Details
​Top Title: Rang-Abzeichen am Drell-Rocke. Abzeichen der Oberarme. (Rank insignia on the drill coat. Upper arm insignia / Chevrons.)
​Chevrons (Left to Right):
​Feldwebel – Sergeant-Major
​Vize-Feldwebel – Vice-Sergeant-Major
​Sergeant – Sergeant
​Unteroffizier – Non-Commissioned Officer
​Sanitätsgehülfe – Medical orderly
​Additional Labels:
​Abzeichen am Kragen – Collar insignia
​Abzeichen am Oberarm – Upper arm insignia
​Rang-Abzeichen am Mantel – Rank insignia on the overcoat (Unteroffizier – Non-Commissioned Officer)
​Säbeltroddeln – Sword tassels (showing different company colors like 1. Comp., 2. Comp., 3. Comp.)
​Abzeichen der Trompeter – Bugler's insignia

26/10/2026

German rodeo with Unteroffizier on a bull

24/10/2026

23/10/2026

The first colony of Brandendurg-Prussian colonisation in West Africa.

​In 1682, King Friedrich Wilhelm I (the "Great Elector" of Brandenburg-Prussia) dispatched an expedition led by nobleman Otto Friedrich von der Gröben to the Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana).
​
The expedition established Fort Groß-Friedrichsburg near Cape Three Points (Pokesu/Princes Town) as the headquarters of the Brandenburg-African Company.
​
Learn more on this early history of colonisation in the link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburger_Gold_Coast

Further reading can be found on the link below:
https://www.humboldtforum.org/en/magazine/article/der-brandenburgische-kolonialismus-in-westafrika/

​Illustrated top right is Friedrich Wilhelm, Elector of Brandenburg (the "Great Elector").
​Illustrated bottom left is Otto Friedrich von der Gröben, expedition leader.

Image shared courtesy of William ~

22/10/2026

The German Colonial Empire covered a vast range of cultures and tribal groupings in Africa.

This illustration is by the artist Gustav Mützel (1839–1893), a prominent German illustrator and painter known for his detailed zoological and anthropological plates.

Can anyone identify all these African peoples? Only a few I can identify, such as Nama, top row at extreme right, Herero, standing bottom row extreme left, with San (Bushmen) seated in front of them. A Zulu warrior stands centre left (Bottom row) with a Hehe Warrior (in distinctive headress) centre right.

​Published by Bibliographisches Institut (Leipzig), founded by Joseph Meyer. Originally published between 1885 and 1890 in the 4th edition of Meyers Konversations-Lexikon (specifically appearing around 1888–1890).

History of the Nama people:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nama_people

History of the Herero people:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_people

History of the San people:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_peoples

History of the Zulu people:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulu_people

History of the Hehe people:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hehe_people

17/10/2026

NATIVE UPRISING UNSETTLED IN GERMAN SOUTHWEST AFRICA

​​BERLIN, March 2.—Germany is making frantic efforts to throw a powerful force between the beleaguered colonial troops in German Southwest Africa and the rebel Hereros. Until this force reaches the colony the rebels will doubtless be more or less victorious. Reports of murder and destruction grow more alarming every day. Dr. Kampny, a German physician, was murdered by the natives while trying to reach the German telegraph station at Barmen.

This newspaper feature was published on 2 March 1904.

Learn more on the Herero uprising in the link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_uprising

​Note the logo and mark "N.E.A." on the illustration. This stands for the Newspaper Enterprise Association, a major American press syndicate and news feature service founded in 1902 (which provided pre-printed news layouts, illustrations, and features to subscribing daily newspapers across the United States)

History of the N.E.A on the link below:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspaper_Enterprise_Association