About two kilometres northwest of the city centre lies the Catholic mission with an interesting, but not overly critical, historical museum. It exhibits deeply moving testimonies to the history of slavery, describes the history of mission and offers insights into the time when Bagamoyo was the capital of the colony of German East Africa.
In 1868, slavery in East Africa reached its peak. Between 1860 and 1870, almost 700,000 Africans were enslaved. Bagamoyo was the last stop on the African mainland before the captives were taken to Zanzibar and sold. This is where the name of the city, ‘bwaga moyo’ (lay down your heart), comes from, reflecting the deep sorrow of the enslaved. To combat slavery, Catholic Spiritan missionaries founded a centre in Bagamoyo in 1868. They bought the freedom of as many slaves as possible and settled them in this ‘Christian Free Village’. From here, Christianity spread throughout East Africa.
Catholic Historical Museum / Mango Tree Drive, Bagamoyo Tanzania ⅼ P.O. Box 16 Bagamoyo ⅼ Phone: +255 52 440063
Food for thought on the entangled history of missionary work and colonisation
as well as a critical examination of racism in German-Tanzanian church partnerships can be found on the online platforms Mission and Colonialism, Dealing with the colonial heritage und Racism and Church [German]
Decolonial Travel Guide Tanzania 