author
Hans Paasche
1881–1920
A naval officer turned pacifist, Hans Paasche wrote with unusual force about colonialism, modern society, and the need for a different way of living. His life was short and dramatic, and his work still feels bold more than a century later.
1 Audiobook
Im Morgenlicht. Kriegs-, Jagd- und Reise-Erlebnisse in Ostafrika
by Hans Paasche
About the author
Born in Rostock in 1881, Hans Paasche grew up in a prominent German family and trained as a naval officer. Early service in German East Africa shaped him deeply: after taking part in Germany’s colonial world at close range, he became one of its sharp critics.
Paasche is remembered as a writer, publicist, and pacifist who moved toward reform-minded causes, including opposition to war and criticism of modern industrial life. He became especially known for Die Forschungsreise des Afrikaners Lukanga Mukara ins innerste Deutschland (often shortened to Lukanga Mukara), a satirical work that turns the usual colonial gaze upside down by having an African observer describe German society.
During and after the First World War, his outspoken views made him a controversial figure. He was killed in 1920 at Waldfrieden, and his reputation has endured as that of an unusually independent German voice: a former officer who rejected militarism and used writing to challenge the values of his time.