Research Report
The Life and Collection ofFriedrichJulius Bieber:

An Archival Study ofKafa at the Beginning of the 20th Century
SAYURI YOSHIDA
Nagoya University

This report introduces the life and collection of Friedrich Julius Bieber. He visited Ethiopia
several times, especially Kafa, at the beginning of the twentieth century and is recognized as theforemost authority on ethnological research focused on Kafa. Bieber left a great deal of property
and written documents concerning both Ethiopia and his daily life. This collection included
ethnological objects from Ethiopia, instruments used during his journeys to Ethiopia, photographs, books, and unpublished written documents, such as diaries, drafts, memoranda, letters,
and postcards to his family and friends. Today, these items are housed in three places: theEthnology Museum, the Austrian National Library and the District Museum of Hietzing in
Vienna, Austria. They can help deepen our understanding of Kafa, both historically and in its
current state, and of Ethiopia as a whole, providing insights that would be impossible to uncoverby present-day fieldwork. However, we can gain significant knowledge from these items only if
we construct a proper basis for the use of these valuable collections.
Key words: Friedrich Julius Bieber, Kafa, Austria, collection, archive

FRIEDRICH JULIUS BIEBER AND KAFA<•>In March 2011, a ceremony was held in Bonga, a town in the Kafa zone of the Southern Nations
Nationalities and People's Regional State of Ethiopia. The ceremony was planned and conducted by
NABU (the Nature and Biodiversity Union), a German NGO dedicated to the conservation ofnature in the Kafa zone. This event was a celebration of UNESCO's designation of parts of the Kafa
zone as the Kafa Biosphere Reserve in June 2010. NABU invited one man from Austria to participate in the celebration. That man was Klaus Bieber, the grandson of Friedrich Julius Bieber, who
visited Kafa at the beginning of the twentieth century (Photograph 1).
Friedrich Julius Bieber is recognized as the foremost authority on ethnological research in Kafa.
He visited Ethiopia three times: in 1904, 1905, and 1909. Perhaps most notable of those visits was
his extended stay in Kafa from June through July 1905, just a few years after the Empire of Ethiopia
conquered the Kafa Kingdom. His visits produced extensive writings on the history, culture, and lifeof the people in the region, and contributed a great deal to the formation of a framework for Kafa
studies.
Since 2004, I have conducted anthropological fieldwork among the Manjo people in Kafa,
Southwest Ethiopia, to understand the historical changes in Kafa society. However, the Kafa language has no alphabet; consequently, no written materials exist. Additionally, elders with knowledge
Nilo-Ethiopian Studies 21:29-39 (2016)

Copyright© 2016.Japan Association for Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

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Photograph 1. Friedrich Julius Bieber {Reference: Klaus Bieber, year: unknown)of oral traditions and history have already passed away. Therefore, it is impossible to study the history
and lifestyles of the Kafa people by conducting fieldwork in present-day Ethiopia. Today, research on
the works of Bieber represents one of the most im portant sources of information about Kafa. In
September 2014, I began archival research into the collection of Friedrich Julius Bieber in Vienn a,Austria, by using the knowledge and experience I gained through my long-term fieldwork in Kafa.
This paper describes Bieber's life and his collection held in Vienn aY>

THE LIFE OF FRIEDRICH JULIUS BIEBER<3>
Friedrich Julius Bieber was born in 1873 in Vienna. At the age of eight, his father gave him a
C hristmas gift that would have a lasting influence on his life. 'D1e gift was "Quer durchAfrika: Gerhard
R ohlfs' und Vtmzey Cameron's R eisen" (Burmann 1880), a book describing the great explorations of
inner Africa. Bieber would later write on the first page, "I received this book from my papa on
C hristmas in 1881. Probably, it predicted my future."
Growing up, Bieber developed a strong interest in Mrica. He aimed to study at university; however, when he was 13 years old, his father passed away. His family fell into economic difficulties andBieber was unable to continue his studies. Because he was a rather small and slim boy, incapable ofheavy labor, his mother found him an apprenticeship in a shoemaker's shop. D espite this setback to
his plans, Bieber was still eager to see Mrica. Finally, at the age of 17, he received permission fromhis mother and started off on his long-dreamed-ofjourney. H e reached Trieste and Fiume/R.ijeka on
the Adriatic Sea by foot and train in 1890, and upon conclusion of his visit he returned back to
Vienna. The same year he had a second journey planned traveling down the River D anube to theBlack Sea as far as Istanbul. H owever, he was unable to complete his journey. A disappointed Bieber
returned to Vienna and worked as a sales clerk at a local bookstore. I t turned out to be a very good
opportunity for him as he was able to learn more about Africa from the books that surrounded him.
He was especially taken by"Der Orient und Europa: Erinnerungen und R eisebilder von L and und M eel'by Eduard Ferdinand von C allot (1854-55), an Austrian ex-army officer, and became fasci nated by
the Ethiopian highland.H>
In 1892, Bieber finally got the opportunity to step on African soil for the first time. He had begun

YOSHIDA: 1he Life and CoUection of Friedrich Julius Bieber

31

holding public lectures on Africa, particularly Ethiopia. This brought him into contact with two
retired army officers, Alexander Varges and Albert Ragg. Bieber was asked to accompany the twomen on their journey to the Sudan to seek the release of an Austrian, Rudolf Carl von Slatin, who wasbeing held captive by the Mahdi. Bieber was to serve as their Mrica expert. The men plan ned to go
to the Sudan through Eritrea, which was Italian territory, and eventually on to Ethiopia. However,the Italian authorities did not allow them to cross the border into Ethiopia.
Returning to Vienna, Bieber took a position as an official in the statistics section of the Ministryof Trade of the Austro- Hungarian Monarchy. He resumed holding his public lectures. The contents of his lectures were drawn from his own recent journey and from the possibili ty of trade
between the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which did not have any colonies, and Ethiopia, which wasmaintaining its independence in Mrica. His activities soon bore fruit and Bieber succeeded in obtaining financial support to travel to Ethiopia in January 1904 as part of a mission to open trade between
the nvo countries. Once in Ethiopia, Bieber was granted an audience with Emperor Menelik II.
When the visiting Austrian unexpectedly began speaking in the Emperor's native tongue (he hadtaught himself to speak Amharic), Menelik II was highly impressed; he presented Bieber with a special decoration. In June 1904, Bieber left Addis Ababa, excited by his time in the Land he had
dreamed of visiting.
Upon his return to Vienna, Bieber dedicated himself to finalizing the commerce agreement
between the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Ethiopia. When a public mission was again dispatched to Ethiopia in January 1905, he joined as its Ethiopia specialist and Amharic interpreter.
Menelik II received the mission group in March, and the Treaty of Trade and Friendship between theAustro-Hungarian Monarchy and the Ethiopian Empire was solemnly agreed upon. Two days later,most members of the mission departed Addis Ababa. However, Bieber remained in Ethiopia with
Baron von Mylius, aJso a member of the mission. Together they hoped to visit the land of Kafa
(Photograph 2).
In April1905, the caravan ofMylius and Bieber left Addis Ababa, heading towards Kafa. They
traveled through Non no, Limmu, Ennarya, and Jimma regions and arrived at the Gojeb River on June7, 1905. Crossing the river, members of the caravan entered into the land of Kafa, where theyremained for nearly a month. They visited Bonga, Andracha, and the Royal Palace and Royal Graveof the Kafa Kingdom, which prospered until1897. During his stay, Bieber studied the Kafa language
and interviewed the local people on matters relating to the history of the Kafa Kingdom, its people,
customs, and religion. In September 1905, the visitors left Addis Ababa and returned to Vienna.
Mter his return home, Bieber continued his service in the M inistry ofTrade. H owever, he was

Photograph 2. Friedrich Julius Bieber (cenrer) in Adclis Ababa (Reference: Klaus Bieber, year: 1905)

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Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

anxious to return to Ethiopia. In 1909, his wish was realized and in February he left Vienna. In Suez,
Emil G. Pick, an industrialist, joined Bieber on his journey and they arrived in Addis Ababa inMarch. Bieber met with Meneli k II and obtained his approval to visit the western parts of the country and to continue on to the Sudan. Bieber and Pick reached Khartoum before taking the train toPort Said. Emil Pick continued his journey around the world, while Bieber returned to Vienna.
After his homecoming, Bieber resumed his office, writing and contributing many papers andreports recounting his journey and describing Ethiopia. He compiled his research on Kafa in a twovolume work, "Ka.!Ja: Ein altkuschitisches Volkstum in Inner-Afrika; Nachrichten ltber Land und Volk,
Brauch und Sitte der Kajfitscho oder Gonga und das Kaiserreich Ka.f!a", published in 1920 and 1923,
respectively. Unfortunately, Bieber had contracted malaria in Africa. H e resigned his job for reasonsof health at the end of January 1923. By this time, he had made contact with German ethnologist
Leo Viktor Froberuus, with whom he had exchanged letters and made plans to return to the Sudan.
However, due to his worsening health, those plans were never realized. He took his final breath at his
home in Vienna on March 3, 1924. He was 51 years old (Photographs 3 and 4).

THE COLLECTION OF FRlEDRlCHJULIUS BIEBER
Upon his death, Bieber left a g reat deal of property and written documents concerning both Ethiopia
and his daily life. This collection of items included ethnological objects from Ethiopia, instruments
used on his journeys to Ethiopia, photographs, books, unpublished manuscripts, diaries, letters, andmemoranda. I n September 1926, his eldest son, Friedrich Bieber, sold off nearly a thousand of his
books to buyers in Hamburg. His second son, Otto Bieber, kept the collections that were left at hisapartment.
Otto Bieber was g reatly influenced by Friedrich Julius Bieber and, like his fatl1er, was fascinatedwitl1 Africa. He gave radio lectures about his father's life and achievements and held general lecture
meetings in 1929, 1934, and 1944--five, ten, and twenty years after Bieber's death. Otto Bieber also
wrote and published a book about the life of Friedrich Julius Bieber (Bieber 1948).

Photograph 3. The house in which Friedrich Julius Bieber
Lived (taken by author, September 2014)

Photograph 4. A plate showing the house inwhich Friedrich Julius Bieber Lived isplaced (taken by author, September 2014).

YOSHIDA: The Life and Collection of Friedrich Julius Bieber

33

After gathering the ethnological objects that Bieber had collected in Ethiopia, Otto Bieber initiated an exhibition entitled "Ka.ffi Tatitino (King of Kafa)" which was held by tl1e Hagenbund at
Zedlitzhalle in Vienna in 1936 (Photograph 5). At the end ofWorld War II in 1944, when the war
threatened Vienna, Otto Bieber was assigned by the Ethnology Museum (Museum fur Volkerkunde)to take his fa ther's collections from Vienna to Spitz, a town along the D anube about 70 km from
Vienna. In 1945, support for the Ethnology Museum resumed, and both Bieber's collection and his
family returned back to Vienna. Otto Bieber kept his father's collection at his apartment in the
Hietzing District of Vienna, where he and his family lived. Understanding the importance of keeping this collection safe, Otto Bieber lent many of the ethnological objects that his father had collectedin Ethiopia to the Ethnology Museum in 1946. After that, the Ethnology Museum maintained
semi-permanent exhibitions on Bieber. When Emperor Haile Selassie visited Austria in 1954, hetoured the exhibition of Bieber's collection in the Ethnology Museum; Otto Bieber was present anddiscussed the collection with Haile Selassie (Photograph 6). In 1956, Otto Bieber eventually sold off
this collection. H e maintained ownership of half of the collection and opened the African room in
his apartment to continuously exhibit the items (Photograph 7). In addition, he planned and held

Photograph 5. The exhibition "Ka.ffi Tatitino" in 1936 (left: second son Otto, center: widow Berta, and right:
eldest son Friedrich of Friedrich Julius Bieber) (Reference: Klaus Bieber, year: 1936)

Photograph 6. Haile Sclassie and O tto Bieber (Otto is on the right) (Reference: Klaus Bieber, year: 1954)

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Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

Photograph 7. The Mrican room set up in a room of Otto Bieber's apartment (Reference: Klaus Bieber, year:
1975)

two exhibitions in Lower Austria that featured the collections his father had gathered in Ethiopia,
especially Kafa. He lent the ethnological objects that he had kept to the District Museum ofHietzing(Bezirksmuseum Hietzing) in 1975. Later on, Otto Bieber sold off this collection to the museum.
On September 7, 1980, a permanent exhibition of Bieber's collections was opened in the District
Museum of Hietzing. In this exhibit, visitors were made to feel that they were in Friedrich Julius
Bieber's room (Photograph 8). It displayed not only ethnological objects from Ethiopia, but also
personal belongings used by Bieber over his lifetime, including a desk and chair, as well as objects he· used during his voyages to Ethiopia, such as his suitcase and camera. Bieber's photograph and portrait were also exhibited. The museum was temporarily closed for reconstruction and renewal, andopened again in November 2000. Mter the renovation, the exhibit ofBieber's collection was changed
to primarily display the ethnological objects he had brought back from Ethiopia (Photograph 9).
Bieber's collection has not been on display in the Ethnology Museum since the exhibition held there
in 1973.

THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE COLLECTION
Today, Bieber's collections- w hich include ethnological objects, photographs taken in Ethiopia, andwritten documents, such as diaries, drafts, letters, and postcards to his family and friends-are heldby the Ethnology Museum<5> (Weltmuseum Wien), the Austrian National Library (Osterreich.ische
Nationalbibliothek), and the District Museum ofHietzing. These items help reveal the state of Kafa
society in the early 20'h century, providing insights that would be impossible to construct from present-day fieldwork. Of particular interest in the Ethnology Museum and the District M useum ofHietzing are the ethnological objects fro m Kafa, which include printed pictures on Bieber's books"Kaffa: Eirz a/tkuschitisches Volkstum in Inner-Afrika; Nachrichten uber L and und Volk, Brauch und Sitte
der K affitscho oder Gonga und das K aiserreich Kajfo" (Bieber 1920, 1923).

THE ETHNOLOGY MUSEUM
The Ethnology Museum has comprehensive collections of ethnological objects, historical photographs, and books about cultures outside of Europe. All of the objects in this museum are managed

YOSHIDA: 1he Life and Collection of Friedrich Julius Bieber

35

Photograph 8. Exhibition of the Friedrich

Photograph 9.1he Friedrich Julius Bieber exhibition room

Julius Bieber collection in the District
Museum of Hietzing before the reconstruction (Reference: Dr. Astrid
Estcrlus-Bieber, year: 1997)of the District Museum of Hietzing (taken by author,
September 2014)

and registered with an inventory and database. However, this inventory and database are not available
to the public. The museum has been undergoing renovations since November 2014 and all of theobjects are being stored in a repository until the museum's reopening at the end of 2017. 1he repository is ordinarily closed to the public.
Regarding Friedrich Julius Bieber's collection, in total, 257 objects are registered in the inventory.C6>
Most of his collection is from Ethiopia, and includes various items, such as clothes, ornaments, tableware, bedding, musical instruments, weapons, and so on. Some of his collection will be exhibited in
the Benin and Ethiopia exhibition room after the museum's reopening.

CONTACT ADDRESS
Ethnology Museum (Weltmuseum Wien)
Neue Burg, 1010 Wien, Austria
Tel: +43 1 534 30 5052 I +43 1 534 30 5053
Web: http://www.weltmuseumwien.at/ (Access 1 January 2016)
Email: info@weltmuseumwien.at

THE AUSTRIAN NATIONAL LIBRARY
The Austrian National Library is the central academic library of the Republic of A ustria and holds
approximately 8 million objects, among them about 3.5 million books, periodicals, and newspapers.
Other media present include microfilms and microfiches, electronic documents, and audio-visualmedia, as well as incunabula, manuscripts, autographs, lifetime and posthumous estates, pictorial
documents, maps, and so on. All of the collections are arranged and inventoried and it is possible tosearch through some of collections using an online public access catalog.

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Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

List 1. Collections ofFriedrichJulius Bieber at the Austrian National Library {based on the online publicaccess catalog of the Austrian National Library)Call Number

Tide (in German)

English Meaning

Cod. Ser. n. 24511 Han

Reise nach A.thiopien

Journey to Ethiopia

Cod. Ser. n. 24512-24513 Han

Reisetagebuch

Travel diary

Cod. Ser. n. 24514-24515 Han

Tagebuch: A.thiopien, Sudan

Diary: Ethiopia, Sudan

Cod. Ser. n. 24516-24518 Han

Reisetagebuch: Von Wien nach
Triest, Istrien, Norditalien

Travel diary: from Vienna to
Trieste, !stria, northern Italy

Cod. Ser. n. 24519-24520 Han

Reisetagebuch: Erythrea,
Alexandrien

Travel diary: Eritrea, Alexandria

Cod. Ser. n. 24521-24522 Han

Reisetagebuch:
Privatau&eichnungen

Travel diary: private notes

Cod. Ser. n. 24523-24524 Han

Reisetagebuch: Romfahrt

Travel diary: trip to Rome

Cod. Ser. n. 24525 Han

Worterbuch fiir orientalische
Sprachen: Arabisch, AthiopischDictionary for oriental languages:
Arabic, Ethiopian

Cod. Ser. n. 24526 Han

Nach dem Osten: Reise durch
Ungam, Kroatien und Serbien nach
Bulgarien

To the East: Journey through
Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia to
Bulgaria

Cod. Ser. n. 24527 Han

Tagebuch: Reise nach RuBland<nDiary: Journey to Russia

Cod. Ser. n. 24528 Han

Unterlagen und Belege zur
Lebensarbeit des F.J.Bieber

Documents and examples of thelifelong work ofF.J. Bieber

Cod. Ser. n. 24529 Han

Meine Orientreise

My journey to the orient

Cod. Ser. n. 24530/1-9 Han

Sprachurkunden der Kaffitscho oder
Gonga

Linguistic documents of Kaficho
or Gonga

Cod. Ser. n.24531 Han

Unterlagen fiir die Landkarte von
Kaffa

Documents for the map of Kafa

Cod. Ser. n. 24532 Han

Kaffa: Nachrichten iiber das Land,
Brauch und Sitte

Kafa: reports on the country,
customs, and manners

Cod. Ser. n. 24533 Han

Notizen iiber Afrika

Notes about Mrica

Cod. Ser. n. 24534 Han

Ethnographic der Dzomo

Ethnography of the Dzomo

Cod. Ser. n. 24535 Han

Kaffitscho-Texte: Notizen zur
Grammatik

Kaficho texts: notes on thegrammarCod. Ser. n. 24536 Han

Geschichte der Eroberung desKonigreiches Kaffa

History of the conquest of the
Kafa Kingdom

Cod. Ser. n. 24537 Han

Vortragskonzept iiber den Handel
mit A.thiopien

Draft of a lecture on trade with
Ethiopia

Cod. Ser. n. 24538 Han

Das Kaiserreich Kaffa

The Empire of Kafa

Cod. Ser. n. 24539 Han

Dschibuti

Djibouti

Cod. Ser. n. 24540 Han

Uber Kaffa: Einleitung

About Kafa: Introduction

Cod. Ser. n. 24541 Han

Reisebericht

Travel report

Cod. Ser. n. 24542 Han

Die wirtschaftlichen Verhaltnisse
von Siid-A.thiopien

The economic conditions ofsouthern Ethiopia

Cod. Ser. n. 24543 Han

Bericht iiber Addis Abeba

Report about Addis Ababa

Cod. Ser. n. 24544 Han

Abessinische
Unternehmungsgesellschaft

Abyssinian enterprising company

YOSHIDA: The Life and Collection ofFriedrichJulius Bieber

Cod. Ser. n. 24545 Han

Bericht iiber das Handelsverhaltnis
in Athiopien

37

Report about trade relationships inEthiopia

Cod. Ser. n. 24546 Han

Abessinien und der Sudan

Abyssinia and the Sudan

Cod. Ser. n. 24547 Han

Reise durch Athiopien und den
Sudan

Journey through Ethiopia and the
Sudan

Cod. Ser. n. 24548 Han

Briefe von Georg Schweinfurth an
Friedrich J. Bieber

Letters from Georg Schweinfurth
to Friedrich J. Bieber

Briefe von Gelehrten an Friedrich

J. Bieber

Letters from scholars to Friedrich
J. BieberCod. Ser. n. 24551 Han

Briefe an die Gattin

Letters to his wife

Cod. Ser. n. 24552 Han

Ansichtskarten

Postcards

Cod. Ser. n. 24553/1-7 Han

Reisen nach Mrika

Journeys to Mrica

Cod. Ser. n. 24549-24550 Han

The Austrian National Library has 35 documents from Friedrich Julius Bieber. The collection istitled "Estate ofFriedrichJulius Bieber (Nachla.B Friedrich Julius Bieber)." Although the collections
are contained on closed-shelves and visitors must read documents only in the reading room, thelibrary provides copies and digitization services for a fee. Some of the collections are already digitized
and it is possible to browse and download them online. The collections include unique records that
describe the formation of the early modern Ethiopian state and the relationship between the AustroHungarian Monarchy and the Ethiopian Empire at that time. Among the most noteworthy items is
a manuscript written phonetically in the Kafa language. All of the titles and their call numbers in thiscollection are shown in the list 1.

CONTACT ADDRESS
Austrian National Library (Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek)
Josefsplatz 1,1015 Wien, Austria
Tel: +43 1 534 10 322, Fax: +43 1 534 10 321
Web: http://www.onb.ac.atlev/ (Access 1 January 2016)
Email: onb@onb.ac.at

THE DISTRICT MUSEUM OF HIETZING
Vienna is composed of 23 districts and each individual district has a district museum. The District
Museum of Hietzing is one such museum located in Hietzing, the 13th district. Friedrich Julius
Bieber and his son Otto lived in the district, and part of Friedrich Julius Bieber's collection is held in
the museum.
Regarding Bieber's collection specifically, the museum has approximately 200 ethnological objects
from Ethiopia, as well as personal belongings, photographs, pictures, and so on. Most of this collection is exhibited in an exhibition room for Bieber on the second floor of the museum. One particulardecoration, a sword and shield granted by Menelik II, are also exhibited.
The museum is volunteer-based and its collections are not arranged or properly cataloged. There isno database and the exact number of objects from Bieber and accompanying detailed information,such as total number, name, use, origin, and size, is not yet known. Furthermore, many of his objects
are not marked and inventory labels that were once originally attached have, in many cases, fallen off.
Vera Klenner completed her Masters dissertation on the ethnological objects in this collection(Klenner 2001). Her thesis is very helpful in explaining the general aspect of these objects. However,she confused the category and uses of some of the objects and made several mistakes when checking

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Nilo-Ethiopian Studies

the inventory numbers. Therefore, it is necessary to begin again and we must clearly and accurately
describe Bieber's whole collection.
Since 2014, I have aimed to establish an accurate inventory of Bieber's collections at this museum
by ordering, recording, and publishing a catalog. After finishing my project, there will be a full pictureof the collection at the museum. I will further discuss details of the objects in this collection inanother article.

CONTACT ADDRESSDistrict Museum ofHietzing (Bezirksmuseum Hietzing)
Am Platz 2, 1130 Wien, Austria
Tel: +43 1 877 76 88
Web: http://www.1133.at/document/view/id/287 (Access 1 January 2016)
http://www.bezirksmuseum.at/default/index.php?id=40 (Access 1 January 2016)
Email: bm1130@bezirksmuseum.at

VALUE AND POTENTIAL OFTHE COLLECTIONSCurrently, the movement in Austria to reappraise Friedrich Julius Bieber's achievements is growing.
A booklet about his life was published in Vienna in 2012 (Holzapfel2012). Moreover, a lecture
focused on Bieber was held in the District Museum ofHietzing in 2013. At the Ethnology Museum,
which is under renovation and scheduled to reopen in 2017, a permanent Ethiopia exhibition willfeature Bieber's collection in the Benin and Ethiopia exhibition room. Notably, his achievements are
now known even in the Kafa zone, following the celebratory NABU ceremony cited earlier. His work
was also discussed at the "Cultural Research in Northeastern Mrica" symposium held by the GoetheInstitut in Addis Ababa in 2014 (c£ Smidt and Thubauville 2015).
In Ethiopian studies, historical research is concentrated on the history of northern Ethiopia andthe Ethiopian Empire. However, because Kafa lacks a defined alphabet and a resulting absence of
written documents, the histories of southern and western Ethiopia have not been fully explored. In
addition, and as mentioned, since any elders with knowledge of oral traditions and history havepassed away, it is difficult to determine the histories and lifestyles of the region's people by conducting
fieldwork in present-day Ethiopia. Thus, we are left to rely on other sources.
When Friedrich Julius Bieber visited Kafa in 1905, the Kafa Kingdom had already been conquered
and absorbed into the Ethiopian Empire eight years earlier. The Kafa society of those days was in the
midst of massive change, exhausted by battles with the Amhara and now obligated to accept the
government of Ethiopia. At such a time, what did the Kafa people tell the Austrian visitor Bieber
and how did they communicate? How did Bieber regard and record the Kafa people? And how can
we explore the history and culture of the Kafa people through Bieber's collections?
It would not be an overstatement to say that Bieber's collections are precious. They provide a
unique look at the situation in Kafa at the time of his visit. These collections will, without question,
aid our understanding ofKafa and of Ethiopia as a whole, both historically and currently. Importantly,
they also hold immense meaning for today's Kafa people, with the potential to help them gain a muchgreater sense of their history, culture, and identity. However, maximum impact can only be achievedby constructing a proper basis for the use of these valuable collections.

NOTES(1) Friedrich Julius Bieber had written "Kaffa." This report refers to "Kafa" following the common use inpresent-day Ethiopia.
(2) This research was financially supported by the Sasakawa Scientific Research Grant from The Japan ScienceYOSHIDA: The Life and Collection ofFriedrichJulius Bieber

39

Society.
(3) The description in this section is based on Holzapfel (2012) and Bieber (2015).
(4) Friedrich Julius Bieber edited and published "Reise durch Kusch und Habesch: Erinnerungen und Reisebilder"{von Callot 1923), which extracted part of"Der Orient und Europa: Erinnerungen und Reisebildervon Land
und Meer" {von Callot 1854-55). He also wrote the prologue of the book.
(5) The Ethnology Museum was formerly known as Museum fiir Volkerkunde, but changed its name to
Weltmuseum Wien in April 2013. In this paper, I will standardize and call it the Ethnology Museum.
{6) Interview with the curator of the Ethnology Museum, February 25, 2015.
(7) According to Klaus Bieber, Friedrich Julius Bieber was never in Russia. Herrmann (1975: 19) noted in her
footnote "F. Bieber: Diary of my journey from Vienna to Rusee, 101h Nov.1890 to 2nd Jan.1891, written to
1orh Nov. (F. Bieber: Tagebuch meiner Reise von Wein nach Rusee, 10. Nov. 1890 - 2. Jan. 1891, geschrieben
his am 10. Nov.)." Rusee is in the Balkans in a town on the Danube, where the Danube is the border
between Romania and Bulgaria. It might be that someone at the Austrian National Library saw Rusee/
Russe and converted this to RuBland (Russia).

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1920-23 Kaffa: Ein altkuschitisches Volkstum in Inner-Afrika; Nachrichten iiber Land und Volk, Brauch und Sitte
der Ka.ffitscho oder Conga und das Kaiserreich Kaffa. 2 Bande. Munster i.W.: Aschendroff.
Bieber, K.
2015 The Bieber Family's Fascination with Africa. ITYOPIS Northeast African journal of Social Sciences andHumanities Extra Issue 2015 Cultural Research in Northeastern Africa: German Histories and Stories. pp.
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Bieber, 0.
1948 Geheimnisvolles Ka.ffa Im Reich der Kaiser-Cotter. Wien: Universum Verlagsges.
Burmann,K.
1880 Quer durchAfrika: Gerhard Rohlfs' und Verney Cameron's Reisen. Leipzig: Albrecht.
Herrmann, A.
1975 Afrikaforscher Friedrich julius Bieber (1873-1924) Leben und WCrk. Ph.D dissertation. Wien: Wien
Universitat.
Holzapfel,].
2012 Friedrich julius Bieber {1873-1924}: Ein Afrikaforscher wohnhaft in Wien-Hietzing. Wien:
Bezirksmuseum Hietzing.
Klenner, V.
2001 Die ethnographische Sammlung des osterreichischenAfrikaforschers Friedrich julius Bieberim Bezirksmuseum
Wien-Hietzing. M.A. dissertation. Wien: Wien Universitat.
Smidt, W.G.C. & S. Thubauville (eds.)
2015 ITYOPISNortheastAfricanjournal ofSocial Sciences and Humanities Extra Issue 2015 Cultural Researchin Northeastern Africa: German Histories and Stories.

von Callot, E. F.
1854-55 Der Orient und Europa: Erinnerungen und Reisebilder von Land und Meer. Leipzig: Kollmann. 1923
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Website:OberSt. Veit: Ander Wien 1133.at (October 30,2015 inspection)
http://www.1133.at/document/view/id/556

SAYURI YOSHIDA: Institute for Advanced Research, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi,
464-8601,japan.