Francisca Christina of the Palatinate-Sulzbach

Kammermohr (or ''Hofmohr''; pl. ''Kammermohren'') was a

German-speaking German ( ) is a West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Italian province of South Tyrol. It is also a ...

term since the 18th century for a court servant of black skin colour, which had by that time long been a common feature in European courts.

History

People of black

skin colour Human skin color ranges from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. Differences in skin color among individuals is caused by variation in pigmentation, which is the result of genetics (inherited from one's biological parents and or individ ...

from the

Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

have often been taken to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

valets A valet or varlet is a male servant who serves as personal attendant to his employer. In the Middle Ages and Ancien Régime, valet de chambre was a role for junior courtiers and specialists such as artists in a royal court, but the term "valet ...

during the time of

Colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

. This became common in the 16th-century and continued to be fashionable until the early 19th-century. The term ''Kammermohr'' was first used as an official term in a court protocol in 1747 in

Saxon The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

. The splendidly decorated Kammermohr, often in

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery will often have elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

, served a ruler, church dignitaries or wealthy merchants as an exotic object of prestige and as a status symbol, showcasing their wealth and luxury lifestyle. Above all, however, the valets symbolized the worldwide relations of their employer.

Notable examples

Anton Wilhelm Amo Anton Wilhelm Amo or Anthony William Amo (c. 1703 – c. 1759) was an African philosopher originally from what is now Ghana. Amo was a professor at the universities of Halle and Jena in Germany after studying there. He was brought to Germany by ...

, kammermohr of Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. * Adriaan de Bruin, kammermohr * Angelo Soliman, kammermohr of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. *

Ignatius Fortuna Ignatius Christianus Fridericus Fortuna (died 24 November 1789) was a court servant prominent in the court of Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach, an abbess at Essen Abbey in Essen, Germany.Ute Küppers-Braun: ''Kammermohren: Igna ...

, kammermohr of Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach *

Gustav Badin Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Badin né ''Couchi'', known as Badin (1747 or 1750 – 1822) was a Swedish court servant ( Kammermohr) and diarist. Originally a slave, he was the foster son and servant of Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden and ...

, kammermohr of first Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden and then

Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden Princess Sophia Albertina of Sweden (''Sophia Maria Lovisa Fredrika Albertina''; 8 October 1753 – 17 March 1829) was the last Princess-Abbess of Quedlinburg Abbey, and as such reigned as vassal monarch of the Holy Roman Empire. Sophia Alber ...

. * Abraham Petrovich Hannibal, kammermohr of Peter the Great

References

{{reflist Anti-black racism in Germany 18th century in the Holy Roman Empire Courtiers

History

Notable examples

See also

References