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Curt Karl Bruno von François (2 October 1852 – 28 December 1931) was a German
geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" ...
,
cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
,
Schutztruppe (, Protection Force) was the official name of the colonial troops in the African territories of the German colonial empire from the late 19th century to 1918. Similar to other colonial armies, the consisted of volunteer European commissioned ...
officer and commissioner of the imperial colonial army of the German Empire, particularly in
German South West Africa German South West Africa (german: Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. With a total area of ...
(today's
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ...
) where he was responsible on behalf of Kaiser for the foundation of the city of
Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 2 ...
on 18 October 1890 and the harbor of
Swakopmund Swakopmund (german: Mouth of the Swakop) is a city on the coast of western Namibia, west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 main road. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. The town has 44,725 inhabitants and covers ...
on 4 August 1892.


Life

François was born in
Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...
of French
Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Bez ...
ancestry. He was the son of
Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
general Bruno von François, who was killed in the
battle of Spicheren The Battle of Spicheren, also known as the ''Battle of Forbach'', was a battle during the Franco-Prussian War. The German victory compelled the French to withdraw to the defenses of Metz. The Battle of Spicheren, on 6 August, was the second o ...
. Curt's younger brother
Hermann von François Hermann Karl Bruno von François (31 January 1856 – 15 May 1933) was a German ''General der Infanterie'' during World War I, and is best known for his key role in several German victories on the Eastern Front in 1914. Early life and military ...
(1856–1933) served as a general in World War I and was one of the key contributors to the German victory at the 1914
Battle of Tannenberg The Battle of Tannenberg, also known as the Second Battle of Tannenberg, was fought between Russia and Germany between 26 and 30 August 1914, the first month of World War I. The battle resulted in the almost complete destruction of the Ru ...
. The writer Louise von François was his aunt. Like his ancestors, young Curt von François joined the Prussian
Cadet Corps A corps of cadets, also called cadet corps, was originally a kind of military school for boys. Initially such schools admitted only sons of the nobility or gentry, but in time many of the schools were opened also to members of other social classes. ...
. He served as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, whereby his father was killed in action during the
Battle of Spicheren The Battle of Spicheren, also known as the ''Battle of Forbach'', was a battle during the Franco-Prussian War. The German victory compelled the French to withdraw to the defenses of Metz. The Battle of Spicheren, on 6 August, was the second o ...
on 6 August 1870, and was awarded the
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia e ...
. In 1883 he worked as a
geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" ...
on an exploratory expedition along the
Kasai River The Kasai River ( ; called Cassai in Angola) is a tributary (left side) of the Congo River, located in Central Africa. The river begins in central Angola and flows to the east until it reaches the border between Angola and the Democratic Republi ...
in the Congo region under the leadership of
Hermann Wissmann Hermann Wilhelm Leopold Ludwig Wissmann, after 1890 Hermann von Wissmann (4 September 1853 – 15 June 1905), was a German explorer and administrator in Africa. Early life Born in Frankfurt an der Oder, Wissmann was enlisted in the Army in 187 ...
and two years later joined another expedition into the Congo led by George Grenfell. Back in Germany, he became a member of the
German General Staff The German General Staff, originally the Prussian General Staff and officially the Great General Staff (german: Großer Generalstab), was a full-time body at the head of the Prussian Army and later, the German Army, responsible for the continuou ...
, and was elevated to the rank of ''
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian, and Swiss armies. While in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' litera ...
'' (Captain). In 1887 he was stationed as a research officer in German West Africa. On behalf of the
Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * Unite ...
, he explored
Togoland Togoland was a German Empire protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana, approximately 90,400 km2 (29,867 sq mi) in size. During the period kn ...
and the trade route to Salaga up to the Mossi territory in the north.


South West Africa

In 1883, the German merchant Adolf Lüderitz had purchased the coastal area of Angra Pequena, following negotiations with a local African chief. He called this coastal region of southwestern Africa Lüderitz. Fearing that the
British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...
were soon to declare the area a protectorate, Lüderitz advised the German chancellor
Otto von Bismarck Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (, ; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman and diplomat. From his origins in the upper class of ...
to claim it, which he did at the
Berlin Conference The Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, also known as the Congo Conference (, ) or West Africa Conference (, ), regulated European colonisation and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period and coincided with Germany's sudden emergence ...
of 1884. On October 7, the colony of
German South West Africa German South West Africa (german: Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. With a total area of ...
was established under ''
Reichskommissar (, rendered as "Commissioner of the Empire", "Reich Commissioner" or "Imperial Commissioner"), in German history, was an official gubernatorial title used for various public offices during the period of the German Empire and Nazi Germany. Germ ...
'' governor
Gustav Nachtigal Gustav Nachtigal (; born 23 February 1834 – 20 April 1885) was a German military surgeon and explorer of Central and West Africa. He is further known as the German Empire's consul-general for Tunisia and Commissioner for West Africa. His mis ...
. However, the German authorities met with fierce resistance by the local
Herero people The Herero ( hz, Ovaherero) are a Bantu ethnic group inhabiting parts of Southern Africa. There were an estimated 250,000 Herero people in Namibia in 2013. They speak Otjiherero, a Bantu language. Though the Herero primarily reside in Namibia, t ...
. When in 1888 their officials were forcibly expelled from
Okahandja Okahandja is a city of 24,100 inhabitants in Otjozondjupa, Otjozondjupa Region, central Namibia, and the district capital of the Okahandja Constituency, Okahandja electoral constituency. It is known as the ''Garden Town of Namibia''. It is located ...
, the German Colonial Society engaged ''Hauptmann'' Curt von François to provide security to the territory. In June 1889 he arrived with 21 troopers, 8 soldiers of the Imperial Army and 13 volunteers in the British-held enclave of
Walvis Bay Walvis Bay ( en, lit. Whale Bay; af, Walvisbaai; ger, Walfischbucht or Walfischbai) is a city in Namibia and the name of the bay on which it lies. It is the second largest city in Namibia and the largest coastal city in the country. The ci ...
. Soon afterwards François stationed himself at
Otjimbingwe Otjimbingwe (also: Otjimbingue) is a settlement in the Erongo Region of central Namibia. It has approximately 8,000 inhabitants. History The area was already a temporary settlement of some Herero in the early 18th century. Their chief Tjiponda c ...
(against the advice of acting commissioner Heinrich Göring) in order to deal with opponents to German authority in the interior of the territory. In May 1890 he renewed a former peace agreement with the Herero chief
Maharero Maharero kaTjamuaha (Otjiherero: ''Maharero, son of Tjamuaha'', short: Maharero; 1820 – 7 October 1890) was one of the most powerful paramount chiefs of the Herero people in South-West Africa, today's Namibia. Early life Maharero, was b ...
and eventually occupied the completely destroyed settlement of
Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 2 ...
(founded by
Jonker Afrikaner Jonker Afrikaner ( 1785, ''Roode Zand'' near Tulbagh, South Africa – 18 August 1861, Okahandja) was the fourth Captain of the Orlam in South West Africa, succeeding his father, Jager Afrikaner, in 1823. Soon after becoming ''Kaptein'', h ...
decades earlier). Upon Maharero's death in October, his son
Samuel Maharero Samuel Maharero (1856 – 14 March 1923) was a Paramount Chief of the Herero people in German South West Africa (today Namibia) during their revolts and in connection with the events surrounding the Herero genocide. Today he is considered a na ...
had to reaffirm the treaty. At Windhoek, François set up the new headquarters of the German occupation (which he called '' Alte Feste'', Old Fortress). This location was chosen because the Germans felt it would serve as a buffer zone between the Nama and Herero tribes. After Göring was recalled from office, François served as ''Reichskommissar'' of German South West Africa from March 1891 until November 1893. Within this time period (on 12 September 1892) he established the coastal town of
Swakopmund Swakopmund (german: Mouth of the Swakop) is a city on the coast of western Namibia, west of the Namibian capital Windhoek via the B2 main road. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. The town has 44,725 inhabitants and covers ...
as the main harbour of German South West Africa and
map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Althou ...
ped large parts of the colony. In November 1893 he was promoted to Major and given the title of ''
Landeshauptmann Landeshauptmann (if male) or Landeshauptfrau (if female) (, "state captain", plural ''Landeshauptleute'') is the chairman of a state government and the supreme official of an Austrian state and the Italian autonomous provinces of South Tyrol an ...
''. However, François at the same time had to cope with the rising resistance by the Nama people. On 12 April 1893 he led an attack of 225 German soldiers on Nama leader Hendrik Witbooi's headquarters at Hoornkrans west of Rehoboth. The shelling of the
Oorlam The Oorlam or Orlam people (also known as Orlaam, Oorlammers, Oerlams, or Orlamse Hottentots) are a subtribe of the Nama people, largely assimilated after their migration from the Cape Colony (today, part of South Africa) to Namaqualand and Da ...
kraal Kraal (also spelled ''craal'' or ''kraul'') is an Afrikaans and Dutch word, also used in South African English, for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within a Southern African settlement or village surrounded by a fence of ...
and its final storming led to tremendous civilian casualties. Rendered as the "Massacre of Hoornkrans" by the international press, it severely damaged François' reputation. Moreover, Witbooi escaped and fled into the
Naukluft Mountains The Naukluft Mountains (Afrikaans and German: ''Naukluftberge'') are a mountain range in central Namibia. The southern part of the mountain range forms the easternmost part of the Namib-Naukluft National Park. The northern mountains are occupie ...
, where he waged several months of guerrilla warfare against the German forces. François' force was formally established as the
Imperial Schutztruppe for German South West Africa The Imperial Schutztruppe for German South west Africa (german: Kaiserliche Schutztruppe für Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was the official name of the military formation that maintained the German Empire in its colony of German South West Africa. The ...
by the Reich Law of 9 June 1895.


Later years

In 1894 François was replaced by Theodor Leutwein as ''Landeshauptmann'' of South West Africa. He embarked in
Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second larges ...
to Germany and during the following year he retired from military life. In retirement in Zernsdorf,
Brandenburg Brandenburg (; nds, Brannenborg; dsb, Bramborska ) is a state in the northeast of Germany bordering the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony, as well as the country of Poland. With an area of 29,480 square ...
, he wrote extensively about his experiences in Africa.


Private life

Von François married Damara princess Amalia Gawaxas while in German South West Africa. They had a daughter, Josephine. His wife died soon thereafter, and he re-married in Germany. His second wife was Margarethe Meyer zu Bohmte from a wealthy family. They had four children, two of which died in their infancy. Von François died in a
Königs Wusterhausen Königs Wusterhausen () is a town in the Dahme-Spreewald district of the States of Germany, state of Brandenburg in Germany a few kilometers outside Berlin. Geography Geographical location Königs Wusterhausen – or "KW" () as it is often cal ...
hospital on 28 December 1931. He was interred in the
Invalids' Cemetery The Invalids' Cemetery (german: Invalidenfriedhof) is one of the oldest cemeteries in Berlin. It was the traditional resting place of the Prussian Army, and is regarded as particularly important as a memorial to the German Wars of Liberation of ...
in Berlin. The part of the cemetery where he was buried belonged to the forbidden area of the Eastern side of the
Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall (german: Berliner Mauer, ) was a guarded concrete barrier that encircled West Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating it from East Berlin and East Germany (GDR). Construction of the Berlin Wall was commenced by the governme ...
. This area was flattened, and of his grave only the location remained documented. From that information the grave was restored in 2018, and a tombstone was erected.


Recognition

In front of Windhoek's municipal buildings there was a statue of von François. It was inaugurated on 18 October 1965 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the second foundation of the town by him. The statue was controversial in Windhoek, and several calls for its removal had been made prior to being taken down on 23 November 2022. The original ''Schutztruppe'' headquarters built at the behest of François in 1890 at Windhoek was expanded in 1912, and has been a museum since 1962.


Written works

* ''Reise im Hinterlandes des deutschen Schutzgebiets Togo'', Mitteilungen Von Forschungsreisenden Und Gelehrten Aus Den Deutschen Schutzgebieten I, Berlin 1888 - ''Travel in the Hinterland of the German Togo Conservation Area'', Communications from Researchers and Scholars from the German Protected Areas * ''Die Erforschung des Tschuapa und Lulongo : Reisen in Centralafrika'', Brockhaus,
Leipzig Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as ...
1888. - Exploration of Tschuapa and Lulongo: Travels in
Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Cong ...
. * ''Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika'', Verlag D. Reimer, Berlin 1899. - German South West Africa. * ''Kriegführung in Süd-Afrika'', Dietrich Reimer, Berlin 1900. - Warfare in South Africa. * ''Lehren aus dem Südafrikanischen Kriege für das deutsche Heer''. with eight sketches, Verlag E. S. Mittler & Sohn, Berlin 1901. - Lessons from the South African War for the German army. * ''Der Hottentotten-Aufstand. Studie über die Vorgänge im Namalande v. Jan. 1904 bis 2. Jan. 1905 u. d. Aussichten d. Niederwerfung d. Aufstandes''., Berlin 1905. - The Hottentot uprising, etc. * ''Ohne Schuss durch dick und dünn: erste Erforschung des Togohinterlandes ithout a shot through thick and thin: First exploration of the Togo Hinterland(Privately published by Dr. Erika Götz von François in 1972)


References and external links


Biographies of Namibian personalities
by Klaus Dierks * {{DEFAULTSORT:Francois, Curt Von 1852 births 1931 deaths People from Luxembourg City History of Windhoek Colonial people in German South West Africa German explorers of Africa Burials at the Invalids' Cemetery German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War Prussian Army personnel Schutztruppe personnel Recipients of the Iron Cross (1870), 2nd class