This date was chosen symbolically, as it marks the signing of the famous “German-Cameroonian Treaty” between the Kings of “Cameroons” and German merchants established on the Cameroonian coasts of Bimbia and Douala. These were treaties of sovereignty transfer that, once authenticated by the German Consul General on behalf of the Emperor, signaled the entry of the German Empire into the ranks of the great colonial powers of the time.

The Cameroonian embassy in Berlin was represented at the opening of the exhibition by its Cultural Advisor. This exhibition not only showcases the main actors of that time but also features copies of the original treaties that followed or preceded the one signed on July 12, 1884, letters of protest marking the resistance of local chiefs, and quotes from colonial actors who themselves denounced the arbitrary nature of the colonial contracts they forced Cameroonian chiefs to sign.

Following research conducted on Cameroonian heritage in public museums in Germany, particular emphasis is placed on the examination of archives, the results of which reveal that 140 years after this intrusion into the lives of the peoples of Cameroon and African kingdoms in general, this history remains largely unknown to the general public, and its remnants are still, if not forever, present.

The very informative and well-documented exhibition is the work of two researchers, Dr. Richard Tsogang Fossi (TU Berlin) and Joel Zouna (ENS Paris and TU Berlin). It is an invitation to discover the turbulent history of the colonial conquest of Cameroon. The exhibition is permanent and will be augmented with, among other things, the famous “Peace Treaties.”

• - https://www.ambacam.de/en/2024/07/14/july-12-1884-july-12-2024/