Her reveries were typical : the Samoan years left an indelible imprint on those who returned to Germany . The fondness of their recollections affected children , grandchildren and later descendants . For this reason the islands have been , for nearly a hundred years , a beguiling destination for many in search of their roots , or at least a place where their roots took temporary sustenance .
Many family photo albums or collections from the Samoa days found their way into German archives over the years . Few ended up in public collections in
Traub Collection
“... the Samoan years left an indelible imprint ..” Nina and Eva Traub , who left Samoa in 1920 with their parents , performing a Siva Samoa in Heppenheim , Germany , in later years . the South Pacific , though the math suggested that some should have . This was because a number of Germans had remained in Samoa after 1920 – around 60 or so – mainly men who were married to local women and who were allowed to stay subject to “ good behaviour .” There were also several hundred residents of blended German-Samoan ethnicity ; their right to stay had never been in question .
By rights there should have been a fair amount of personal photography from the German colonial period in archives in Samoa , New Zealand or Australia , but there was not . To address this gap in the public record , in 2012 I decided to track down collections held by German Samoan families and , with the agreement of the owners , scan appropriate images to deposit in the digital archives of the Museum of Samoa . The Museum were enthusiastic about the idea and the hobby project began . As ‘ proof of concept ’ I had already examined the collection of a distant cousin in Auckland , Agnes Sasse Heeney , daughter of turn-of-the-century Apia settler Werner Sasse and Samoaborn Louisa Hellesoe . Agnes ’ albums contained some real gems from the German years and gave promise that the project could be a fruitful one .
And so it proved . Gradually , collections were tracked down , initially in Auckland . Families proved to be wonderfully generous and public spirited in sharing their precious photographic heirlooms . Almost immediately it became clear that there were some albums and collections of major archival and historical significance not just to the South Pacific but to Germany as well . For example , the Alfred Schultz album , held by the Kronfeld Parr family , contained over 100 images from the German internment camps at Motuihe Island and Narrowneck on Auckland ’ s North Shore . This album was in superb condition and is , I believe , unmatched in breadth and quality by any internment albums that were later deposited in German archives . The collections held by the Bunge , Spemann , Gebauer , Hufnagel ,
Alfred Schultz “... an album unmatched for breadth and quality .”
Alfred Schultz Album , Kronfeld Parr Collection
| To Walk Under Palm Trees - The Germans in Samoa : Snapshots from Albums | Tony Brunt
6