Weapon

The Brandeis collection contains relatively few weapons - many of these however, come from Nauru. This missile or blunt instrument made of heavy coconut palm wood is one such example. The weapons invoke pre-colonial power and leadership structures, as well as the violent history of colonialism. From the perspective of the colonial powers, Nauru was considered a particularly warlike society, the successful “pacification” of which the German colonial administration was at pains to deliver. The history books emphasise here in particular the role of so-called beachcombers: drop outs, castaways, deserters and adventurers, who decamped on Nauru and other islands and often violently usurped power. As a result of their influence, firearms arrived on Nauru in increasing numbers, which had the effect of brutalising already extant rivalries between native familial clans. This culminated in the so-called “Ten Year War” between 1878 and 1888, which arose from an incidental conflict yet increasingly escalated through a series of blood feuds and which claimed many lives. The violence came to and end when the German Reich assumed colonial power in October 1888 and completely disarmed the local populace. According to this reading, it was German colonial dominance that brought peace to Nauru - nevertheless, the conflict could never have happened without imperial interference in the first place. Author: Godwin Kornes, Translation: Timothy Connell