This book is an important episode in the history of the development and modernisation of Palestine in the latter 19th and the first half of the 20th Centuries. It portrays the significant contribution made by a small group of German settlers from Wuerttemberg in southern Germany during their 80 years in Palestine. This book focuses on the settlement of Sarona which was established as an agricultural settlement on the outskirts of Jaffa in 1871. Today the former Sarona village is an inner suburb of the bustling city of Tel Aviv, Israel. The achievements of the German settlers, before the first significant Jewish immigration in the 1880s, demonstrated that European settlement was possible in the Holy Land. The settlers of Sarona left a proud heritage in the Holy Land, Palestine and Israel. Their buildings, their enterprises and their agricultural ventures will forever be remembered as having contributed significantly to the modernisation of Palestine and ultimately to the benefit of Israel. Testimonials "This fascinating account is a significant addition to the understanding of the Templer phenomenon that has left a noteworthy mark on the landscape of Israel until today." Dr. Yaron Perry, Head of the Schumacher Institute, University of Haifa, Israel "...an outstanding literary achievement..." Peter Lange, President, Temple Society, Stuttgart, Germany "This well-researched book documents the history of the German Temple Society settlement at Sarona in Palestine. It is a fascinating and moving story of a settlement twice disturbed by war. The narrative is most readable and well-documented. The book stands as a memorial to the faith and achievements of the settlers." Michael Ramsden, former Dean and Professor at RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia "...a live picture of the colony, its cultural faces, the material culture, and the historical context..." Dr. Danny Goldman, Architect and University Lecturer, Tel Aviv, Israel "...a privilege to read this fine book..." Dr. Charlotte Laemmle, Melbourne, Australia "This book is an especially important contribution towards the history of Palestine. The swabian Templer settlement of Sarona was the first modern agricultural settlement in Palestine and was reputed to be a model settlement by the Jewish immigrants." Dr. Jakob Eisler, Historian, Haifa, Israel
In the early 1930s, Tel Aviv was a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, and religious backgrounds. Living in the German agricultural settlement, known as Sarona, is a young man named Erich. Erich is a descendant of the Sarona settlement foundera Christian German, who belonged to the group known as the Templers. Life is without conflict for Erichuntil his eighteenth birthday, when he meets Ruth. Ruth is a young Jewessa granddaughter of one of the early Zionist settlers in the Holy Land. In Tel Aviv, the Germans and the Jewish settlers were not to have contact, let alone romantic relations. Still, Erich and Ruth cant resist, even as the world around them threatens their relationship with problems far beyond the normal bounds of boy meets girl. There is the question of German Nazism, forbidding liaisons between German and Jew. There is also the Jewish tradition of discouraging intermarriage. Events in their own settlements not only threaten their love, but also their lives. In the late 1930s, Palestine was wracked by three-way political violence between the British, Jews, and Arabs, tearing them both apart. Despite war, despite distance, despite the ridicule of others, Erich and Ruth fight for the love they have found. Will their love ever be accepted, or will death separate them for good?
Shattered Dreams at Kilimanjaro covers the period from the establishment of the former colony of German East Africa in the late 19th century until the formation of the independent State of Tanganyika in 1961. The book focuses on a small group of German settlers who ventured into a new world - German East Africa - to establish farms and businesses in the Mt Kilimanjaro region. This venture was ultimately not successful due, in part, to the tropical diseases contracted by some of the settlers, whilst others were disillusioned with the poor economic returns. The main reason for its failure, however, was the outbreak of World War I and the devastating effects this had on the settlers, culminating in dispossession and deportation. Before the war the settlers had achieved a great deal by clearing virgin land and cultivating it with coffee and an array of vegetables and fruits. Others had started businesses such as building and flour milling. After World War I the former German colony became the British Mandate Territory of Tanganyika. Some former settlers returned only to lose everything again when World War II broke out and all Germans were interned and their properties confiscated. Many of the settlers were deported to Germany in 1940; others were interned in Africa for the duration of the war before being repatriated to Germany. It is fitting to record the history of these adventurous and hard working people. They overcame severe personal hardships and disappointments and, in the end, earned little reward for their toils. Nevertheless, they left a lasting legacy because agriculture was brought to a region in tropical East Africa from which crops are still grown and food produced. Similarly, their businesses gave rise to ongoing enterprises in that region. The book is illustrated with many historical photographs.
Shattered Dreams at Kilimanjaro covers the period from the establishment of the former colony of German East Africa in the late 19th century until the formation of the independent State of Tanganyika in 1961. The book focuses on a small group of German settlers who ventured into a new world - German East Africa - to establish farms and businesses in the Mt Kilimanjaro region. This venture was ultimately not successful due, in part, to the tropical diseases contracted by some of the settlers, whilst others were disillusioned with the poor economic returns. The main reason for its failure, however, was the outbreak of World War I and the devastating effects this had on the settlers, culminating in dispossession and deportation. Before the war the settlers had achieved a great deal by clearing virgin land and cultivating it with coffee and an array of vegetables and fruits. Others had started businesses such as building and flour milling. After World War I the former German colony became the British Mandate Territory of Tanganyika. Some former settlers returned only to lose everything again when World War II broke out and all Germans were interned and their properties confiscated. Many of the settlers were deported to Germany in 1940; others were interned in Africa for the duration of the war before being repatriated to Germany. It is fitting to record the history of these adventurous and hard working people. They overcame severe personal hardships and disappointments and, in the end, earned little reward for their toils. Nevertheless, they left a lasting legacy because agriculture was brought to a region in tropical East Africa from which crops are still grown and food produced. Similarly, their businesses gave rise to ongoing enterprises in that region. The book is illustrated with many historical photographs.
German pioneers who developed settlements and businesses in Palestine - revolutionising agricultural production during late 19th and early 20th centuries. Their ventures contributed significantly to the modernisation of Palestine and ultimately Israel.
In the early 1930s, Tel Aviv was a melting pot of ethnicities, cultures, and religious backgrounds. Living in the German agricultural settlement, known as Sarona, is a young man named Erich. Erich is a descendant of the Sarona settlement foundera Christian German, who belonged to the group known as the Templers. Life is without conflict for Erichuntil his eighteenth birthday, when he meets Ruth. Ruth is a young Jewessa granddaughter of one of the early Zionist settlers in the Holy Land. In Tel Aviv, the Germans and the Jewish settlers were not to have contact, let alone romantic relations. Still, Erich and Ruth cant resist, even as the world around them threatens their relationship with problems far beyond the normal bounds of boy meets girl. There is the question of German Nazism, forbidding liaisons between German and Jew. There is also the Jewish tradition of discouraging intermarriage. Events in their own settlements not only threaten their love, but also their lives. In the late 1930s, Palestine was wracked by three-way political violence between the British, Jews, and Arabs, tearing them both apart. Despite war, despite distance, despite the ridicule of others, Erich and Ruth fight for the love they have found. Will their love ever be accepted, or will death separate them for good?
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