A Danish Jew in West Africa

Fülszöveg

"...Wulffs life history is of considerable interest in itself. In her biographical essay (Part I) Selena Axelrod Winsnes portrays him as a rnarginal man : being a Jew in Denmark at the beginning of the 19th century was to somé extent an uphill struggle for those who sought public recognition, and Wulff did not escape discrimination in his administrative career at Christiansborg either, although special circumstances allowed him to hold important positions, and yet, only for the short term. Paradoxically, on his arrival to the Gold Coast Wulff - as a Jew - was placed in a middle position in the racial hierarchy dominating the mind-set of his superiors in Copenhagen - between Africans and Europeans. In many respects he shared the fate of Euro-Africans, straddling two worlds and being csealed off from the top echelons of the European establishments on the Coast. However, the importance of this book is, above all, tied to the fact that Wulff in his letters from 'Guinea - presented in... Tovább

Fülszöveg

"...Wulffs life history is of considerable interest in itself. In her biographical essay (Part I) Selena Axelrod Winsnes portrays him as a rnarginal man : being a Jew in Denmark at the beginning of the 19th century was to somé extent an uphill struggle for those who sought public recognition, and Wulff did not escape discrimination in his administrative career at Christiansborg either, although special circumstances allowed him to hold important positions, and yet, only for the short term. Paradoxically, on his arrival to the Gold Coast Wulff - as a Jew - was placed in a middle position in the racial hierarchy dominating the mind-set of his superiors in Copenhagen - between Africans and Europeans. In many respects he shared the fate of Euro-Africans, straddling two worlds and being csealed off from the top echelons of the European establishments on the Coast. However, the importance of this book is, above all, tied to the fact that Wulff in his letters from 'Guinea - presented in Part II - relates his keen observations of events, social and political processes, and the progress of African-European relations. Wulff is a witness to the unfolding of African history as well as the history of the petite European enclaves on the Gold Coast in the first half of the nineteenth century, and through his letters we may capture the gradual transformation of the European trade establishments into colonia1 bridgeheads..." Per Hernaes Trondheim, May 2004 Vissza