Chapter 107: History Lesson
On December 7, 1867, the Cultural School of the First Town (Mlandizi) in the East African Colony received two special visitors, Maximilian I and his wife, Queen Carlotta. A month prior, Queen Carlotta had arrived in East Africa, her safe arrival being a great relief for both her and Maximilian I.
Maximilian I had endured imprisonment and hardship during his time in Mexico, which had taken a toll on Queen Carlotta emotionally. Now, reunited in East Africa, they cherished the opportunity to spend time together.
As they explored the First Town, they marveled at its development, which, although smaller in scale than Dar es Salaam, boasted excellent planning, facilities, and architecture with a distinct German style. The town's layout took into account the local landscape and climate, and urban features like street trees and green belts were noticeable, though quite rudimentary.
Urban planning in the East African colonies aimed for spaciousness, with open areas flanking brick and stone-paved roads. Houses were typically single-story structures, and there was ample open space between yards and buildings to allow for future expansion and upgrades.
Drainage channels were primarily located behind houses, open-air and used mainly for managing rainfall during the wet season. Hygiene was a top priority, given the tropical climate, to prevent open drains from becoming breeding grounds for diseases.
Maximilian I and Queen Carlotta's visit to the Cultural School was of particular interest. Despite the colony's relatively modest conditions compared to Europe, it offered compulsory education. The couple, intrigued by the educational content in this setting, wished to understand the differences between education in East Africa and Europe.
The first grade classroom they visited had around 30 to 40 students, including children of Chinese immigrants and Austro-Hungarian Empire immigrants. Bilingual teaching was employed in lower grades to accommodate diverse backgrounds, with full German instruction beginning in the second grade.
The curriculum was basic, and students mainly followed the textbooks. History lessons were presented in a storytelling format, treating the subjects as stories rather than formal exams. This approach, implemented by Ernst, encouraged students to read extracurricular books without the pressure of exams.
The first chapter of the history lesson celebrated the Hohenzollern family, emphasizing their rulership over East Africa and their long history. Although Maximilian I and Queen Carlotta found some descriptions humorous, they respected the local approach to history.
The chapter's closing passages employed religious narrative techniques, elevating the Hohenzollern family's status to near-savior levels. This was done without directly invoking deities, emphasizing the family's solemnity and majesty. It was an attempt to secularize education and limit the influence of religious beliefs in the colony.
Ernst recognized that adults might not easily abandon their beliefs, but he aimed to shape the thinking of the younger generation away from strong religious indoctrination. By offering education and sports without religious overtones, he hoped to gradually erode the spontaneous religious traditions that had emerged among the East African population.
This chapter concluded with the understanding that influencing the younger generation's education could have a long-term impact on secularization in East Africa.