born Sept. 27, 1856, Neuhaus an der Elbe, Hanover
died Sept. 10, 1918, Bad Harzburg, Ger.
German explorer and colonizer in East Africa.
After studying British principles of colonization, he founded the Society for German Colonization (1884) and made treaties with chiefs in East Africa to cede their territories to him. He helped establish the German East African protectorate of Tanganyika and formed the German East Africa Company in 1885. He served as imperial high commissioner for Kilimanjaro (189197) and explored the Zambezi River (18991901), where he discovered relics of ancient cities and gold mines.