The visit to Samoa in April and May of 1937 of Dr Walter Hellenthal , the pre-war German Consul in Wellington , brought into focus the increasingly conflicted position of local Germans and German Samoans . Distance from Europe lent a rosetinted view of Adolf Hitler and his policies . A pride in Germany ’ s recovery from the demoralisation of the 1920 ’ s was tempered with discomfort about the Nazi Party ’ s racial policies which put Samoa ’ s cross-cultural marriages in a position of implied censure . Hellenthal spoke enthusiastically of the government he served .
The pictures on this page show a garden party that was held at a property in Lotopa , Apia , in honour of the consul . Hellenthal is shown in the middle of the group photo ( at top ) in a white suit and white shoes . Beside him on the right is NZ Administrator , Alfred Turnbull , who is also shown in the photo at right , standing on the right with his hands in his pockets . The hosts at this gathering had wisely ensured that the British flag , the Union Jack , was elevated higher than Germany ’ s swastika flag .
Photos , top , Tony Brunt Collection ; all other images per Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft Bibliothek , Goethe Universität , Frankfurt , Hellenthal Collection , Photographer Walter Hellenthal
| To Walk Under Palm Trees - The Germans in Samoa : Snapshots from Albums | Tony Brunt
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