Il consolato norvegese a Zanzibar, 1908-1928

This article is presenting one of the smaller, and lesser known groups, the Norwegians. The Norwegian presence on the island of Zanzibar between the end of XIX century and the beginning of the XX is an innovative and very original subject. Given Norway’s long history as a seafaring nation, and Zanzibar’s importance as a trading port in the late nineteenth century, it is not surprising finding Norwegian vessels making frequent calls at Zanzibar harbour. What is more surprising is the extent this connection had reached by 1905. This year saw the end of the Swedish-Norwegian union, which had lasted since 1814. As the union was dissolved, the new, independent Norwegian nation, viewed it as a paramount task to establish a diplomatic corps and a functioning foreign service to support its trade and shipping. Surprisingly, one of the first Consulates to be established was in Zanzibar. Timber trade grew so much that in 1906 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to appointing Christian Janssen as honorary Consul in Zanzibar, whom worked together with Ole Christian Olsen, representative of the Trading Norwegian Company, both with very wide and even amusing tasks, which ended in 1928, with the moving of the Consulate to Mombasa.

Anne K. Bang, Il consolato norvegese a Zanzibar, 1908-1928 in "STORIA URBANA " 98-99/2002, pp , DOI: