Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Agricultural Research Institute

On August 19, 1868, in Berlin, the Hechingen Consortium entered into an agreement with several German research and academic institutions to establish the East African Agricultural Research Institute. This institute's mission was to conduct research on local agricultural crops and tropical plants in East Africa. Ernst, raising his glass, toasted Professor Anton Perutz, who was instrumental in this endeavor.

Professor Anton Perutz, an expert in tropical agriculture in the German region, had previously led a somewhat unsatisfactory life. Unlike colleagues from other countries who had the opportunity to conduct research worldwide with their own experimental fields and ample funding, Anton Perutz had been confined to a small laboratory in Germany.

In Germany, where the climate was temperate, research and funding were heavily skewed towards crops suitable for the local climate. Tropical crops were of little interest to German nobility, who were primarily focused on increasing grain production in their fields. As a result, Germany had minimal research in tropical agriculture, a fact that greatly frustrated Anton Perutz.

The establishment of the East African colony changed this dynamic. With Germany now having a significant colony in the tropics and favorable agricultural conditions in East Africa, research into local agriculture became crucial. The East African Agricultural Research Institute aimed to develop agricultural expertise within East Africa.

Though the climate conditions in East Africa were not unique, each region had its distinct characteristics that needed exploration. Historically, the agriculture of the East African colonies had borrowed solutions from around the world or hired foreign experts. The work of the East African Agricultural Research Institute would focus on crop breeding, disease prevention and control, and increasing crop yields per unit area.

To support Anton Perutz and his team, the Hechingen Consortium provided eight experimental sites covering more than 300 acres. These sites were strategically located across East Africa, from coastal plains to inland plateaus, from arid desert edges in the north to wet zones in the south, and along the coasts of the three great lakes in the region.

Ernst assured Anton Perutz that the consortium would offer full support to the research team and their families during their stay in East Africa. He emphasized that their work was laying the foundation for Germany's overseas expansion in the future.

Anton Perutz, like many Germans, was a staunch believer in German nationalism and its potential for greatness. He understood the importance of their research in the broader context of Germany's future growth.

A few days later, in the Port of Hamburg, Anton Perutz met Daniel Zhang, an East African staff member assigned to assist him during the journey. As they boarded the ship "Merry," Daniel Zhang explained that the ship carried not only Anton Perutz but also many German immigrants seeking to develop in East Africa.

Anton Perutz was intrigued by the large number of Germans on the ship and questioned how there could be nearly 2 million Germans in East Africa, given the colony's limited history. Daniel Zhang explained that in East Africa, other nationalities were not officially recognized, and all residents were expected to adopt German culture. Those who fully embraced German culture were considered Germans.

This assimilation approach was not foreign to Anton Perutz, as he believed in the superiority of German culture. He understood that cultural elements like himself and other German elites advocated for German nationalism. In East Africa, cultural assimilation was centered on German culture, with education and other aspects conducted in German. Anton Perutz accepted this approach, acknowledging that it minimized cultural conflicts in the colony.

Anton Perutz recognized that the lack of intellectuals among the East African immigrant groups facilitated the assimilation process. Illiteracy was intentionally introduced into the colony to reduce the cost of assimilation, as individuals with non-German education were often less adaptable to the assimilation process.