Curt von François
| Curt von François | |
|---|---|
François in Schutztruppe uniform, 1896
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| Governor of German South West Africa | |
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In office March 1891 – 15 March 1894 |
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| Preceded by | Louis Nels (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Theodor Leutwein |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
2 October 1852 Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg |
| Died | 28 December 1931 (aged 79) Königs Wusterhausen, Germany |
Curt Karl Bruno von François (2 October 1852 – 28 December 1931) was a German geographer, cartographer, Schutztruppe officer and commissioner of the imperial colonial army of the German Empire, particularly in German South West Africa (today's Namibia) where he was responsible on behalf of Kaiser for the foundation of the city of Windhoek on 18 October 1890 and the harbor of Swakopmund on 4 August 1892.
François was born in Luxembourg of French Huguenot ancestry, the son of Prussian general Bruno von François. Curt's younger brother Hermann von François (1856–1933) served as a general in World War I and was one of the key contributors to the German victory at the 1914 Battle of Tannenberg. The writer Louise von François was his aunt.
Like his ancestors, young Curt von François joined the Prussian Cadet Corps. He served as a soldier in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, whereby his father was killed in action during the Battle of Spicheren on 6 August 1870, and was awarded the Iron Cross. In 1883 he worked as a geographer on an exploratory expedition along the Kasai River in the Congo region under the leadership of Hermann Wissmann and two years later joined another expedition into the Congo led by George Grenfell. Back in Germany, he became a member of the German General Staff, and was elevated to the rank of Hauptmann (Captain). In 1887 he was stationed as a research officer in German West Africa. On behalf of the Foreign Office, he explored Togoland and the trade route to Salaga up to the Mossi territory in the north.
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