Die Kolonialentwicklung des deutschen Schutzgebietes Togo in räumlicher Perspektive

Abstract

This article deals with the spatial effects of German colonial penetration in Togo from 1884 until 1914. Among other spatial processes such as urbanization, the extension of commercial agricultural production, and migration, special attention is paid to the development of infrastructure and transportation. It is argued that the spatial effects of colonialism cannot be fully understood without special reference to the pre-colonial spatial structure. Pre-colonial Togo was part of two distinct trading networks, i.e. the Hausa-trade in the North and the Atlantic trade in the South. Even before modern infrastructure had been established German colonial penetration succeeded in extending the Atlantic trading network further north. This process of spatial integration was accelerated by the introduction of modern infrastructure such as railroads. However, the spatial expansion of the colonial economy partly followed established pre-colonial lines, although some important modifications occured notably in the gravity centre of commercial agricultural production, urbanization, port concentration and infrastructure. At the end of the German era the South had been strongly integrated into the colonial system. The pre-colonial east west integration of the peripheral North had been weakened by an integration with the South.