Power, production, and land use in German East Africa through the photographs of Walther Dobbertin, c. 1910

Abstract

The essay analyses a set of the landscape photographs of Walther Dobbertin that were taken in the German East Africa highlands before the First World War. The concept of locality binds the discussion of three settler enclaves - A Trappist monastery, a Evangelical Lutheran mission station, and a government-leased farm. One exclusively indigenous site, the Mlalo Kaya, adds as well to the conceptual discussion. The photographs are high-resolution scans of the original negatives, and enlargements reveal much information about land husbandry and the ecological consequences of the implementation of colonial power in particular places. The analysis also suggests that the nature of locality formation has long lasting consequences.