Kapitänleutnant Wilhelm Lebahn (1872 - 1907)

Wilhelm Lebahn was born in Malchow, Mecklenburg in 1872. He joined the navy in 1890 where he completed his basic military training to become a sailor. Between 1898 and 1900, he sailed to East Asia on the S.M.S. Kaiserin Augusta. He successfully became a captain lieutenant in 1902. Lebahn then sailed the South Seas as first officer of the S.M. Condor in 1903. In 1905, Lebahn was appointed commanding officer of the S.M.S. Planet. The hydrographical survey vessel carried out a seven-month long mission contracted by the Reichsmarine (Imperial Navy). Also present on board was the officer surgeon and ethnologist, Augustin Krämer who most likely inspired Lebahn to collect ethnographic objects. After completion of the expedition, Wilhelm Lebahn suddenly died on the return voyage on 26 January 1907. In the same year, Lebahn’s brother-in-law Dr. Rudolph Plähn, representing Lebahn's estate, offered the collection to the museum in Freiburg.