Born September 4, 1853, Frankfurt, Germany
Died June 15, 1905, near Liezen, Austria

Before 1800 few Europeans had ventured into the interior of Africa. But by the close of that same century, much of the continent had been explored. A great deal had been learned about Africa’s peoples, geography, and wealth of natural resources and trade opportunities. As a consequence—between 1880 and 1912—European powers rushed to lay claim to parts of the continent, to establish colonies or protectorates that operated under their influence. With the exception of the countries of Liberia and Ethiopia, all of Africa came under the control of France, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Germany. (By the 1970s, nearly all of the colonies and protectorates would have their independence.)

Travels through central Africa

Hermann von Wissmann was an explorer who helped such European nations in their quest to colonize Africa...