The history of secular nursing in the former German colonies in Africa 1884-1918

Nursing in the former German colonies has mostly been neglected by German historical research so far, which is why this project investigates the nursing situation in the former German protectorates between 1884 and 1918. In doing so it will focus on the following questions: What was the personnel provision like in the various institutions and colonies with European health carers and native ‘nursing assistants’? What were the functions and tasks of the nurses between European physicians and African helpers? Another point of interest is how social conditions and the fact that individual institutions specialised in particular diseases (leprosy, sleeping sickness) affected the everyday lives of the entire nursing staff.

These questions are being pursued by evaluating numerous original sources, printed sources and picture libraries. The results of these studies will allow for a cross-national comparison, especially with Great Britain where the research on colonial nursing is much further advanced. The historical assessment of colonial nursing can also contribute interesting aspects to today’s discussion of intercultural nursing.