Colonial Exploration or Exploitation? Tracing the Legacy of Emin Pasha's 1890-92 Expedition to East Africa

This paper examines the legacy of the 1890-92 expedition of Emin Pasha to German East Africa, analysing the conditions under which 334 Cultural Belongings were acquired and how these acquisitions were shaped by colonial power dynamics. Drawing on archival documents, travel accounts, and museum records, it reconstructs the expedition’s trajectory, forms of contact with local communities, and methods of collecting. By interpreting the collection through the framework of provenance research and postcolonial critique, the study demonstrates that even seemingly peaceful exchanges were embedded in structures of coercion, hierarchy, and asymmetry. It also explores how the collected items were later processed, fragmented, and instrumentalised by German museum institutions. The thesis argues for a critical reassessment of such collections as colonial legacies and for their reevaluation through transparent, ethical, and collaborative provenance research. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to...Show moreThis paper examines the legacy of the 1890-92 expedition of Emin Pasha to German East Africa, analysing the conditions under which 334 Cultural Belongings were acquired and how these acquisitions were shaped by colonial power dynamics. Drawing on archival documents, travel accounts, and museum records, it reconstructs the expedition’s trajectory, forms of contact with local communities, and methods of collecting. By interpreting the collection through the framework of provenance research and postcolonial critique, the study demonstrates that even seemingly peaceful exchanges were embedded in structures of coercion, hierarchy, and asymmetry. It also explores how the collected items were later processed, fragmented, and instrumentalised by German museum institutions. The thesis argues for a critical reassessment of such collections as colonial legacies and for their reevaluation through transparent, ethical, and collaborative provenance research. Ultimately, it seeks to contribute to ongoing debates on Colonial histories and the decolonisation of museums by illustrating how colonial expeditions combined scientific ambition with extractive practice and how their material traces continue to shape institutions today.Show less

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Colonial Exploration or Exploitation? Tracing the Legacy of Emin Pasha's 1890-92 Expedition to East Africa