Victims of Nationality: German Civilian Internment in British West Africa during the Second World War.

This article explores the internment of German civilians in British West Africa during World War II, focusing on the case of Mr. Ernst Friedrichsdorf. It discusses the factors and power dynamics that led to the internment of German subjects in West Africa and highlights the historiographical imbalance in the colonial perspective of internment. The study relies on primary colonial records and provides new insights into the experiences of German civilians in West Africa during the war. The text also discusses the internment of German subjects in West Africa during the First and Second World Wars, highlighting the presence of German-speaking people in the region before official colonization. It examines the treatment of German subjects as enemy immigrants during the Second World War and the categorization of enemy immigrants in Great Britain. The article also discusses the role of consular representation and protecting powers in protecting the interests of enemy subjects during the war. The internment camps in West Africa provided some privileges and opportunities for the internees, but the unconventional treatment of Germans during the war had long-lasting effects on German presence in the postcolonial period. [Extracted from the article]