Kammermohr

Portrait of the Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach with her "Kammermohr" Ignatius Fortuna, by Johann Jakob Schmitz, Cologne 1772

Since the 18th century, in the German-speaking world, the term Kammermohr (or Hofmohr) has been used to refer to a servant of black skin colour at court.[1]

People of black skin colour from the Orient, Africa and America have often been taken to Europe as valets during the time of Colonialism. The term was first used as an official term in a court protocol in 1747 in Saxon.

The splendidly decorated Kammermohr, often in livery, served a ruler, church dignitaries or wealthy merchants as an exotic object of prestige and as a status symbol, showcasing their wealth and luxury lifestyle. Above all, however, the valets symbolized the worldwide relations of their employer.

Well-known examples include Anton Wilhelm Amo, Angelo Soliman, Ignatius Fortuna, Gustav Badin and Abraham Petrovich Hannibal.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Atlantic understandings: essays on European and American history in honor of Hermann Wellenreuther (in German). LIT Verlag. 2007. p. 88. ISBN 978-3825896072.
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