Curt von François

Curt von François
Reichskommissar for German South-West Africa
In office March 1891 – March 1894
Preceded by	Louis Nels
Succeeded by	Theodor Leutwein
Personal details
Born	2 October 1852(1852-10-02) Luxembourg
Died	28 December 1931(1931-12-28) (aged 79) Königs Wusterhausen

Curt Karl Bruno von François (October 2, 1852 – December 28, 1931) was a military and political figure in the early days of German colonialism in Africa. He is remembered as one of the pioneers of German Southwest Africa (present-day Namibia).

François was of French Huguenot ancestry, and was born in Luxembourg on October 2, 1852. He was a soldier in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, and in 1883 worked as a geographer on an exploratory expedition of the Congo region under the leadership of Hermann von Wissmann (1853–1905). Later he became a member of the German Imperial General Staff, and in 1887 was stationed in Togoland.

In 1883, the German merchant Adolf Lüderitz purchased Angra Pequena following negotiations with a local African chief. He called this coastal region of southwestern African "Lüderitz". Fearing that Great Britain was soon to declare the area a protectorate, Lüderitz advised the German chancellor Otto von Bismarck to claim it, which he did at the Berlin Conference of 1884.

In order to provide security to the territory, in 1889 Germany sent Hauptmann von François to the British-held enclave of Walvis Bay. From there François and a handful of men trekked to the completely destroyed village of Windhoek in the interior of the territory, which was earlier founded by Jonker Afrikaner. At Windhoek, François set up headquarters of the German occupation (which he called Alte Feste, Old Fortress). This location was chosen because the Germans felt it would serve as a buffer zone between the Nama and Herero tribes.

From March 1891 until March 1894, François was commissioner of German Southwest Africa. During this time (1892) he established the coastal town of Swakopmund as the main harbour of the colony. In 1893–94 he was involved in a series of battles with the Nama tribe led by Hendrik Witbooi. François was replaced by Theodor Leutwein as commissioner of German Southwest Africa in 1894. He died in Zernsdorf, Germany on December 28, 1931.

The original Schutztruppe headquarters built by François in 1890 at Windhoek was expanded in 1912, and has been a museum since 1962.

His brother, Hermann von François, also served in the German army and was one of the key contributors to the German victory at the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg.

See also

• Shark Island, German South West Africa

External links

• Biographies of Important Namibians
• Kurt von François (1899). Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika. D. Reimer. http://books.google.com/books?id=pVc9fOCNER4C&pg=PA1&dq=Deutsch-s%C3%BCdwest-afrika:&as_brr=1#PPP9,M1. 

Persondata
Name	François, Curt von
Alternative names	François, Kurt von; François, Curt Karl Bruno von
Short description	cartographer and commissioner of German Southwest Africa, founder of Windhoek
Date of birth	October 2, 1852
Place of birth	Luxembourg (city)
Date of death	December 28, 1931
Place of death	Zernsdorf, Brandenburg