Woold Homé
The Woold Homé ( German : House of Slaves , English : House of Slaves or French : Maison des Esclave or Maison Wood ) is the local name for a brick house built in the Afro-Brazilian style in Agbodrafo , Togo . The building was the site of the Atlantic slave trade and is therefore on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage .
Background and usage
The building was built in 1835 by the local chief Assiakoley for the Scottish merchant and slave trader John Henry Wood, is 21.60 meters long and 9.95 meters wide and had a double function. The basement, which is only 1.50 meters high, served as a hidden place of accommodation for the captured slaves before they were shipped to America, while the upper floor supposedly served the slave traders as an apartment.
The background to this dual function was apparently that slavery was already being officially persecuted by European powers at this point, for example by Great Britain from 1807. This made it necessary to “camouflage” the slaves before they were transported away.
Apparently thousands of prisoners from today's countries Togo , Benin , Ghana , Burkina Faso , Niger and Nigeria passed through this place. The building was used in its function at least until 1852.
Furthermore, the victims who were held captive in Woold Homé apparently also went through the so-called Gatovoudo ( English Well of Chained Ones , French Puits des Enchainés , German for example: Source of the Chained ), a well where the slaves were before embarking to America had to take a cleansing bath on African soil. Gatovoudo is close to Woold Homé on the way from there to the Atlantic Ocean .
Younger story
Apparently this place arouses great fear among the residents of the area and so the story of Woold Homé was kept secret for a long time. It was not until 1999 that the site was investigated by a team of American scientists and thus again made known as a place associated with slavery on the West African coast.
The building was restored in 2006 and is now open to visitors as a place of remembrance.
UNESCO world heritage
Woold Homé has been on the tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage since January 8, 2002.
According to the Unesco World Heritage website, both Woold Homé and Gatovoudo are ...
«... est donc un monument esclavagiste par excellence et un témoin de cette tragédie humaine qui se déroula sur les côtes togolaises entre le dernier quart du XVIIème siècle et la fin du XIXème siècle. »
"... a monument to slavery par excellence and a testimony to this human tragedy that took place on the Togolese coast between the last quarter of the 17th century and the end of the 19th century."
proof
Woold Homé - UNESCO World Heritage Center site (in French), accessed July 28, 2020.
Web links
- Maison des Esclave ... Agbodrafo-Togo (English) including many photos, accessed on July 28, 2020.