Research on the Carl Georg Schillings collection at the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum

Since its foundation in 1905, the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum in Düren has been in possession of the inheritance of African traveler, colonial big game hunter and naturalist Carl Georg Schillings (1865-1921). This hitherto unexplored collection consists of around 600 objects, including hunting trophies, natural history objects, cameras, slides, letters, books and handwritten notes.

Carl Georg Schillings was born in Düren in 1865 in the German Reich at that time. After the director of the Zoologische Garten Berlin drew his attention to the rich fauna of East Africa, Schillings joined the expedition of Max Schoeller, son of an industrialist from Düren, to German East Africa (today: Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and parts of Mozambique) and British East Africa (today: Kenya) in 1896. Until 1903, three more expeditions followed with the goal of collecting trophies for German natural history museums as well as catching live animals for the Zoologischer Garten Berlin and taking animal photographs. While Schillings was primarily concerned with hunting in the field at the beginning of his travels, steadily declining animal populations in East Africa caused a change of mind. Schillings increasingly advocated for regulations on nature conservation and for hunting protection laws in East Africa. It was during this time that his photographs – mostly in the form of glass slides – were taken. He was the first German to photograph East African mammals and birds in their natural habitat at a time when portable flash units and cameras suitable for the tropics had not yet been invented. More than a thousand rare exposed glass plates can be found in the collection. In 1905, Schillings published his travel experiences in his book "Mit Blitzlicht und Büchse," (ENG: With Flashlight and Rifle,

published the same year) which was followed in 1906 by another volume entitled "Der Zauber des Eleléscho" (ENG: In Wildest Africa, published in 1907).

January 1st 2023, a research traineeship started for the development of this collection at the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum in Düren (Germany). The scientific work during the traineeship includes the inspection, detailed documentation and conservation of these collection objects, the classification of the activities of Carl Georg Schillings in the then German and British colonial territories of East Africa in the scientific contexts and colonial networks of the time. A central focus is the presentation of the Schillings collection in the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum in Düren in the context of exhibitions during the early 20th century. How did Schillings' activities relate to the participation of Rhineland industrialists and citizens in German colonialism? Which historical ideas of man, nature, and society are reflected in the actions of Schillings and his environment? In particular, the question arises to what extent Schillings contributed to today's understanding of nature and nature conservation with his photographs, his publications, and his commitment to the protection of animal populations in East Africa and to what extent he should be viewed critically.

Different stocks of animal trophies made and/or caught by Schillings can still be found in natural history museums in Stuttgart, Berlin, Karlsruhe, Vienna and other cities. Especially in natural history collections, Carl Georg Schillings is well-known, as well as associated with numerous animal donations and acquisitions. This is also the case for a number of German zoos. Ethnological artifacts have come to Germany due to Schillings as well. He thus represents an interesting player in the research on the origin of colonial artifacts and specimens.

Within the research traineeship, the Carl Georg Schillings collection will be made accessible and visible for exhibitions and future projects in collaboration with contemporary artists as well as for scientific research. The results of the research traineeship are intended to be presented during an exhibition in early 2025. Project partners are Dr. Bernhard Gißibl at the Leibniz Institute for European History at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Dr. Ina Heumann at the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research. (Text: Frauke Dornberg)