Carl Eduard Zappe

Carl Eduard Zappe (born June 26, 1843 in Ehrenbreitstein , † March 26, 1888 in Yokohama ) was an Imperial German diplomat and advisor in the East Asian region.

Life

Carl Eduard Zappe joined the British Navy after attending general schools and a short career as a seaman . It was here that his nautical training at the Naval Academy in Greenwich took place . As a naval officer in action, he was deployed as an instructor in the naval forces in China in 1868 . From here he came to Yokohama in 1871 . Here he settled down, started a family and worked as a businessman. Because of his reputation and experience in overseas trade, he was appointed acting consul for the German companies operating here. Within three years of volunteering, he was installed as a full-time consul in Yokohama. That was exactly the time when the establishment of diplomatic relations between Germany and Japan was agreed and this resulted in a clear upward trend in overseas trade from Europe.

In order to personally support this process, Carl Eduard Zappe was also involved in other areas to strengthen relations between the two countries. He dealt with traditional handicraft techniques, collected Japanese cultural goods and everyday objects and familiarized himself with the world of life and work of the Japanese people. One result of this examination of Japanese traditions was his article in the journal of the German Society for Nature and Ethnology of East Asia (OAG) in 1873 on the subject of "The preparation of Japanese paper". A short time later he published a second article for readers interested in Japan on the subject of "The preparation of vegetable wax in Japan". As the acting charge d'affaires of the German Embassy in Tokyo Max von Brandt early 1875 exercised Zappe from February 1875 this office had to shortly take over the business of the embassy in Beijing, Tokyo provisionally from. In April, the successor to the office of Theodor von Holleben traveled to Tokyo and took over the associated tasks as a full-time chargé d'affaires. A year later, Zappe made a long trip to Europe and also visited the Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden . He donated parts of his collection of Japanese subjects to this museum. These pieces are still in the museum's possession today under the heading “Uchiwa and Ögi” (leaf fans and folding fans). After returning to Japan, he became a member of the German Society for Nature and Ethnology of East Asia.

Due to his reputation and his economic competence, Carl Eduard Zappe took part in 1882 together with the German ambassador Karl von Eisendecher - at the time chargé d'affaires of the embassy in Washington - in the negotiations to revise the compulsory treaties concluded in 1854 by the United States and Great Britain . As a result, there was an opening and equal relationship between the individual states. The German Empire profited from this to a large extent, as it significantly improved economic and trade relations between the two countries. A year later, he was called in as a member of the delegation to the international negotiations between Korea and Germany for a trade, friendship and shipping treaty. This treaty was concluded on November 26, 1883 and was the beginning of the official economic and cultural relations between the two countries. In recognition of his achievements, Zappe was awarded the title of Consul General in the same year . In the exercise of this office he was authorized by the Netherlands , Norway and Sweden in 1884 to also represent their consular interests in Korea.

Personal

Carl Eduard Zappe was married to Margarete Zappe (1847–1924). The two children Else and Heinrich emerged from the marriage.

In 1885, Carl Eduard Zappe fell seriously ill with heart failure . In the following years his illness worsened and he died on March 26, 1888 as a result in Yokohama. On March 28, the funeral ceremonies for his death took place in the city's foreigner cemetery. The then Japanese Prime Minister Itō Hirobumi and the Japanese Foreign Minister Aoki Shūzō took part. He was also buried here.

The former German envoy Max von Brand was appointed guardian for the two children, Else and Heinrich, who were still underage.

literature

• Biographical data about Carl Eduard Zappe, online in the Meiji project .
• Archive of the OAG, magazine of the German Society for Natural and Ethnographic East Asia, issue 2, 1873/1876 and magazine of the German Society for Natural and Ethnic Studies of East Asia, issue 4, 1873/1876.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Biographical data on Carl Eduard Zappe, in the Meiji project; on-line
2. ^ Journal of the German Society for Nature and Ethnology of East Asia, Issue 2, 1873/1876, p. 14ff .; in: Archive of the OAG https://oag.jp/
3. ^ Journal of the German Society for Natural History and Ethnology of East Asia, Issue 4, 1873/1876, p. 29 .; in: Archive of the OAG https://oag.jp/
4. ↑ Register of persons of the OAG under Zappe Eduard in: https://oag.jp/