Theodor Gotthilf von Leutwein

author

Theodor Gotthilf von Leutwein

1849–1921

A key figure in Germany’s colonial rule in southwest Africa, he governed the territory during the years leading up to the Herero and Nama wars. His career sits at the center of a difficult and important chapter in imperial history.

1 Audiobook

Elf Jahre Gouverneur in Deutsch-Südwestafrika

Elf Jahre Gouverneur in Deutsch-Südwestafrika

by Theodor Gotthilf von Leutwein

About the author

Born in 1849 in the Grand Duchy of Baden, Theodor Gotthilf von Leutwein was a German military officer and colonial administrator. He served as commander of the Schutztruppe and as governor of German South West Africa from 1894 to 1904.

Leutwein is often remembered for the way he combined military force with negotiation as Germany expanded control over the territory. His administration helped shape colonial rule in the region, and his name is closely connected with events that preceded the violent conflicts involving the Herero and Nama peoples.

He died in 1921. Today, he is mainly studied as part of the history of German colonialism and its lasting human consequences in what is now Namibia.