Asante an den Conferenz-Ausschuss mit Nachwörtern von Mader und Widmann / Asante to the Conference Committee with afterwords by Mader and Widmann
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
date: Date early: 25.08.1872
date: Proper date: 25.08.1872
format: 3 pages

Buhl an Widmann und Mader, mit Bemerkungen von Mader, D. Asante und Buhl / Buhl to Widmann and Mader, with remarks by Mader, D. Asante and Buhl
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
date: Date early: 30.08.1872
date: Proper date: 30.08.1872
format: 2 pages

Mader to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
date: Date early: 28.07.1873
date: Proper date: 28.07.1873
format: 3 pages

Mader to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
date: Date early: 07.06.1875
date: Proper date: 07.06.1875
format: 2 pages

Dieterle to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: In reply to the Basel question what practical results the proclamation of slave-emancipation has had on the slaves themselves, Dieterle writes that in Tutu, Asantema (Obosomase), Afwerase, Aburi and many farming villages, on the whole only individual slaves have left their masters. Some of these, however, having got themselves certificates of freedom from the Court in Accra, return to their master's village and farm the land given them by their masters as free men. This is perfectly proper if the freed slaves undertake to help, the ex-master's family pay any debt which is incurred by members of that family. In the Kyerepong villages (of which Late and Adukrom are the largest) if a slave marries into the family and behaves well, he can become the heir and family head - thus in Larte already once a slave has been chief. The Tutu and Asantema people are also Kyerepongs, and from the first 13 slaves have left out of a village population of 1000, from the second 19 have left out of a village population of 700. Most of the latter have returned to Asuntema, however, to work on the land earlier given them by their master – whether they regard themselves as under some obligation to their master's family. Dieterle does not know how many slaves of Aburi masters have left - in Aburi itself few slaves were resident, they were scattered, in farming villages, through a tract of land from 2 to 5 hours broad and 10 hours long. Again, you hear of individual cases in which slaves have claimed their freedom. Recently a slave from Kunkanuru, a place an hour from Aburi, took his master to court in Accra because the latter owed him for 10 pots of palm oil. The master had to pay, and since the slave was an important man, who himself had a family and slaves, he remained 'in accordance with custom' on the land which had previously been given him by his master. The latter will be possible only in a few cases, however, while in most cases if a slave claims his freedom he will have to leave the…
date: Date early: 22.06.1875
date: Proper date: 22.06.1875
format: 4 pages

Eisenschmid to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: He stresses that he personally has knowledge only of the Akropong area. The emancipation has had effects in only isolated cases in Akwapim - people talk about 50 cases, and even if you double this number this is very few among so many slaves. In the Akropong community the daughter of an ex-slave Irenkyi took the opportunity offered by the proclamation to return to her parents. Several slaves ran away from Larteh recently to the coast - their master had an arrangement with the Tutu people to bring them back. The Tutu people found them in Aburi as Brother Widman's hammock-carriers and treated them very severely. The case came before the Akropong court, and the evildoers were fined a total of 240 dollars, partly as damages to those who were mishandled, partly as punishment money payable to the Akropong chief for breaking the new law. This not to say that the Akropong chief is for the proclamation. The effects have been much more striking in Akim, and this is understandable in terms of the much more oppressed situation of the slaves in that area. On May 28th Brother Mohr wrote that the King and his family had run away from Kibi, out of shame because many of his slaves had simply refused to serve him any longer and had claimed their freedom. He could have saved himself through public reading of the Proclamation and the promise of good treatment to his people, but instead he would not humble himself to this extent, and claimed that he could force people to remain in their traditional state. At this they ran away in dozens. The king left Kibi too, but was eventually brought back by the friendly encouragement of his elders. The slaves seek freedom under English protection on the coast, while the younger boys have done into the school. Eisenschmid goes on to explain how, as far as missionary work was concerned, everything in Akim was under the thumb of the chiefs and elders though he adds nevertheless that the school work was blessed to the extent that that very day the firs…
date: Date early: 25.06.1875
date: Proper date: 25.06.1875
format: 4 pages

Asante, Mohr and Werner to the Slave Emancipation Commission of the Basel Mission on the Gold Coast
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: In Kibi about 100 slaves have left their masters. Most have fled to the missionaries order to have explained to them what the new law means and often cannot quite believe that from now on they are free. People are also coming from other Akim villages to fetch home their ex-slave relatives. The sister and aunt of the Okyenhene have lost almost all their slaves. The Okyenhene has tried to bring back slaves by force and in most cases would have succeeded had not the mission protected them or in some cases taken them into mission employment. The slaves of the royal family have on the whole had to endure the worst treatment. Many of them say that had the Okyenhene publicly proclaimed the Emancipation and guaranteed them human treatment in the future they would have remained in his service. In other Akim villages (Asiakwa, Asuom, Begoro are cited as example) the chief has had the Proclamation read out and given the erstwhile slaves the rights of citizens. They are remaining in their towns on familiar terms with their erstwhile masters. They hear that in Fante mang slaves have taken advantage of the Proclamatieen to free themselves As for wages - in Akim the Emancipation has had no effect as yet. But since the missionaries are the only wage-employers they should in the future be no longer dependent on the whims of individual potential workers in view of the large free labour force, it should be possible to keep wages down to their old levels. In Kibi most slaves were from Akim villages, and have returned to their homes - slaves from further afield are setting out to farm, which no-one hinders in view of their plentiful land available, or are going to Akwapim where there is no shortage of employment. There is thus no danger of developing a poor proletariat, nor so far, has there been any report of robbery or violence - except in that the Okyenhene has himself been responsible for it. For the future they suggest a number of points to make the Emancipation effective: There sh…
date: Date early: 26.06.1875
date: Proper date: 26.06.1875
format: 6 pages

Rottmann to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: The effects of the Emancipation have so far been small - only a few slaves have made use of it, and most masters have only lost one or two. He has no certain information about happenings in the interior or in Fante, but nothing striking has been reported except that several weeks ago he heard that the king of Akim had lost allegedly several hundreds of slaves. Perhaps this result is at first sight surprising, but when one considers what light duties most masters give most slaves one is not so surprised. In many cases it must seem to the slaves more advantageous to stay on their master's land, than to break free and face the demands which settling in a strange place involve. They enjoy the master's protection and support if necessary, and in a sense they are members of his family. And those who actually work in the master’s house are well treated and assured of a comfortable livelihood The full effects of the Emancipation will probably thus be felt only by degrees, for every slave now legally forbidden to sell or buy slaves and time obtain his full freedom. Fears of a poor proletariat or the growth of bands of robbers are thus quite out of place - in any case since the Asante expedition there has been plenty of work, and with the disappearance of cowries and the increasing use of silver wages are if anything rising. Indeed people on the coast are pleased at the growth of the free labour force which this measure involves. As far as he can see there is no need for the Government to do anything in respect of providing land for the ex-slaves - there is plenty of land with either no owner, or only a nominal owner which can be had free or for a small sum of money. Slave-owners with large tracts of land would almost certainly rather see their ex-slaves remain on the land and pay them rent in kind than drive them off it. In the interior the slaves had a harder lot and the results of the emancipation have been different.
date: Date early: 30.06.1875
date: Proper date: 30.06.1875
format: 4 pages

Schönfeld to Mader
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: With only one or two exceptions no slaves have left their masters in Krobo (Schönfeld bases this on conversations with 'different Christians and heathens'). In respect of the question about poor proletariat and bands of robbers Schönfeld reports that where the latter exist they come obviously not from slaves freed in Krobo but from the Hausas and Yorubas involved in Captain Glover's expedition into Asante. The so-called 'free-soil question’ is happily settled through the Krobo slave-owners. The only comment he has heard about the Emancipation is that it will be unfortunate that the Krobos will no longer be able to buy women and girls for marriage from outside the tribe.
date: Date early: 08.07.1875
date: Proper date: 08.07.1875
format: 2 pages

Zimmermann, unaddressed
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: In the Basel Mission area the effect of the Emancipation is so far limited. Abokobi in the past has been a place of flight for slaves, but fewer slaves have been coming recently as in former years. The Proclamation will only become known by degrees in the more distant parts of the colony, and it leaves the responsibility for reacting with the slaves. Where the latter - as happens in Adangme and to a certain extent among the Gas - are made part of the master's family, and have part of his property, they will tend to remain with him, especially if they were born in the house, and enjoy protection and privileges from him. Admittedly the situation of the slave is different with educated slave-owners, the merchants on the coast, mulattos, and the great princes among the Twis. Such people do not work and eat with their slaves, and in general stand further away from them. Among such people slavery has more or less lost the character of a mild house-slavery, and often seems similar to American slavery - indeed, where among the Twis wives and slaves are killed on the master's death this sort of slavery is much worse and more despot-ridden. From this kind of situation one hears that slaves have either run away, or where they work on their master's land, now neither pay him part of their produce nor work for him 3 days in the week as was the case before. If the master has no land he simply sends the slaves away, except to pay them wages for their services - 6d-9d for 8 hours work, rising to 1/- to 2/- per day for load carriers and canoe crews, and still more for hammock-carriers. If he has land he loses the produce and drives the slaves away. With the normal situation where the master treats his slaves in a fatherly way, the slaves leave only in particularly tense situations or out of their own light-headedness and disobedience. There is as yet no influence from the Emancipation causing prices and wages to change. Prices have been going up since the cotton-rise of 1860-64, wit…
date: Date early: 26.07.1875
date: Proper date: 26.07.1875
format: 16 pages

Fritz to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: Some slaves have come to the government to be declared free - the majority of these out of laziness, rather than from any desire to be self-sufficient. Another group have come to be declared free, and then Imam returned to their masters. The majority, however, have remained with their masters, either because they are well-handled, and are part of the family, or because they fear to be independent. No breadless proletariat will develop, because the ex-slaves can either farm land belonging to someone else for a small proportion of their yearly product, or can go and farm in the uninhabited tracts. Nor is a growth in robber-bands likely - public opinion is too strong against them and Government punishments too severe. Over future control of land Fritz suggests a plan along the lines of Zimmermann’s (after some remarks about the fact of the recent history of farming among the Christians of Christiansborg and La). About opinions of slaves and owners over the Emancipation, he writes that the owners think there should it have been compensation.
date: Date early: 28.07.1875
date: Proper date: 28.07.1875
format: 8 pages

Binder to Mader
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: A reply based on information received from 'different' people, and concerning the position in the Ada area. What practical effects have the Emancipation had? From almost every master some slaves have gone, from one of the chief merchants e.g. 12, from the Ada chief 7, from others 4, 3, 2 and 1. This has happened with no cause other than the Emancipation proclamation. In part these people have left wives and children behind, and have gone into Ga, Fante and Krobo to find themselves land. Others have joined the police corps. The slaves remaining are treated as members of the family, receiving from their master no wages, only food, clothes and permission every now and again to earn something for themselves. The trusted emancipated slaves are even conducting business for their masters still. Emancipated slaves can find work at any time they want, but Binder is of the opinion that many have run away not to enjoy working for themselves, but to give freer rein to their laziness. It is true that since the post-war expansion of trade robbers have come to Ada among whom are emancipated slaves, but most firms (including the Basel Mission Factories) employ Krooboys as house servants, and these have to be watched, as to the canoe crews from Prampram and Sierra Leone. The Krooboys have been brought in especially because of the lack of people prepared to work regularly - everyone here, old and young, are traders themselves. The land question does not arise in that the slaves are given land to cultivate and for a house by their masters, in return for a certain part of the produce. If the government did decide to distribute land it would be easy - much cultivable land remains uncultivated. As for the attitude of slaves and slave-owners to the government: though the latter, especially those whose main wealth consists of their slaves, are in a difficult position, they have accepted the law without much grief, and hops that it may be rescinded. The emancipated slaves, judging by trustw…
date: Date early: 03.07.1875
date: Proper date: 03.07.1875
format: 4 pages

Mader und Widmann to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
description: This the covering letter forwarding the following reports to Basel. Mader summarises the information given by the missionaries. He comments the Akim case shows the Government should intervene there 'our stations are not free cities'. In a subscript Widmann remarks that about 200 slaves have run away in Akwapim. Many of the freed slaves on the coast must have died in the small-pox epidemic. He sees a particular problem in the situation of the elderly and frail slaves who can no longer look after themselves. Akwapim is over-run with Crepes who are afraid to return to their own lands until they are again part of the British Protectorate.
date: Date early: 20.08.1875
date: Proper date: 20.08.1875
format: 6 pages

Buhl to Basel
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
date: Date early: 06.09.1875
date: Proper date: 06.09.1875

Adolf Christ: Notiz zur Sclavenfrage / Adolf Christ: Note on the Slave Question
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
format: 3 pages

"An die Missionsfreunde", Erklärung von der Ev. Missions Gesellschaft / "To the Mission Friends," statement by the Evangelical Mission Society.
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III: D-10.003,10 - Sklaven-Emancipationskommission
format: 5 pages

Berichte über Reisen nach Salaga / Reports about journeys to Salaga
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III
description: Reports from David Asante (German), Theophil Opoku (English) and F. Buss (German) on their journeys to Salaga], with a German translation of the report from Opoku (and a type-written transcript of Opoku's report, pp.33-40). Summary on Asante's report: The account was written down only at the express command of the Basel Missions Committee, and Asante says that he has done it as far as he is able from memory, and from his notebook. The inspiration for the journey was the idea that he might be able to purchase cows for milking in Salaga, now that the way to be Salaga through Kwahu was open. He could however get no-one to go, since everyone was afraid of robbers, elephants, lions, leopards etc. He was troubled about how to raise the money, however, and eventually took goods on credits to the value of £20. As provision he took only 2 tins of chocolate, as medicine some quinine, and a bottle of Cognac. The Abetifi brothers also gave him some maize and groundnuts, and he had several loaves of landbread made. He set out with several of the Kibi Christians and reached Abetifi in three days where he rested. He was almost brought to turn back, but could not for shame. He got very tired having no hammock bearers, however. 24th January he travelled from Abetifi to Nkwatanang, the last Kwahu village. (4 hours journey begun late in the day.) 25-30 January: From Nkwatanang to Aframso, and then across the uninhabited lands to Pae (Pai). The Afram is well known in the 'African world', but this cannot be on account of its beauty - it must be on account of its wealth of fishes. In the dry season one can cross the Afram in places on foot, but in order to make money the Kwahus have made the path cross the river at the deepest part, and it cost Asante and his party 1 ½ shillings to go over. On the other side of the Afram they saw no houses - the grasslands are like the Accra plains, though here and there the bushes are formed into little woods. It is well watered, and there are large qua…
date: Date early: 1877
date: Date late: 1878
date: Proper date: 1877-1878

Die Organisation der Heidenpredigt im Stationsgebiet
subject: [Individuals]: Bohner, Heinrich (Mr) [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III
description: Referat von H. Bohner, Missionar, vorgetragen an der Generalkonferenz der Basler Missionare in Akropong am 13. März 1883, zwei Exemplare, handschriftlich / The Organisation of missionary preaching in the life of a mission Station; lecture delivered by H. Bohner at the Akropong General Conference in March 1883, two identical manuscripts
creator: Bohner, Heinrich (Mr)
date: Date early: 1882
date: Date late: 1883
date: Proper date: 1882-1883
format: 38 pages

Gutachten über die Frage der Heimkehr und Heiratserlaubnis der Brüder auf der Goldküste
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III
description: 8 replies to questions on regulations concerning the return to Europe and the permission to marry, written in November 1885 by Gold Coast missionaries at that time in Europe
date: Date early: November 1885
date: Proper date: November 1885

Ehewesen
subject: [Archives catalogue]: Guides / Finding aids: Archives: D - Ghana: D-10 - Miscellaneous concerning Ghana in European languages: D-10.003 - Verschiedene Dokumenten zu Ghana III
description: Zwei Manuskripte: "Wie stimmt unsere Ehescheidungspraxis mit den Verordnungen der werten Kommitee überein?", Referat für die Konferenz des Ga-Distriktes 1886 und "Einige Thesen das Ehewesen betreffend" /How does the way we practise divorce agree with the Orders of the Basel Committee?" Lecture delivered at the Conference of the Ga-district in 1886; and "Some points concerning marriage".
date: Date early: 1882
date: Date late: 1886
date: Proper date: 1882-1886
format: 52 pages