Decolonial Travel Guide Tanzania

OLD MOSHI

Gabriel Mzei Orio

Old Moshi village in the Northern part of Tanzania is perched in the foothills of the tallest Mountain in Africa: Kilimanjaro. Ten kilometers north of the current or New Moshi Town, the old town of Moshi was established by the Germans through colonial government in the early 1890s and has remained unfairly unknown to many visitors. The history of the past through many visitors in the region – the missionaries, traders, explorers, colonists and many others crossing the area and welcomed by chiefs in different chiefdoms – is a mark of the great forgotten history up to date. Located in Moshi rural, this area has nurtured a culture that goes back over 200 years. Several sights still bear witness to the colonial past.

A historic day was the 2nd of March 1900 when famous Chagga Chief Meli was hanged together with other chiefs and their helpers from other chiefdoms  in Moshi and Meru region on a Mgunga tree. Chief Meli, son of Chief Rindi Mandara, and others who embraced the entry of the Germans, resisted the invasion of the Germans in their territories leading to their arrest and death by execution. Today lies a monument of remembrance down the Mgunga execution tree with a statue of chief Meli and names of others who were hanged.

The iconic tree is found just opposite the former German court building which now is a small museum. „Mangi Meli Remains“ is a collaboration work from Flinn Works and Berlin Postkolonial from Germany and Old Moshi Cultural Tourism Enterprise. The exhibition of photography and animated film is situated as a place of remembrance to locals and visitors and is now serving as an educational place of colonial history to institutions, schools, universities and a tourist  destination and as a testament to the German past administration.

  • Hanging Tree Old Moshi (c) Flinn Works & Old Moshi Cultural Tourism
  • Mangi Meli Remains Exhibition (c) Flinn Works & Old Moshi Cultural Tourism
  • Mangi Meli Remains Exhibition (c) Flinn Works & Old Moshi Cultural Tourism
  • Lutheran Church Old Moshi (c) Henriette Seydel
  • German Grave (c) Flinn Works & Old Moshi Cultural Tourism

The tree is a welcoming landmark to visitors, who arrive by road, and also a starting point for exploring the historic village tour. In the heart of Tsudunyi village where Old Moshi Cultural Tourism offers guided walks lies the incredible ruins of the German military base, a chapel and a cemetery of military personnel who lost their lives in 1892 while fighting with Chief Meli. Germans ended up losing the fight and decided to come back after a year for revenge and this time with more sophisticated weapons leading to locals losing the battle and taking lives of many local people including the hanging. 

Tourists visiting Old Moshi have a chance to learn about this past history and heritage, which most of them are not familiar with and have not heard of. So they get a chance to learn about this shared history of Tanzania and Germany.

Further Information

To Do

Commemorate at the Hanging Tree and Learn About Chief Mangi Meli

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