Large Painting on the North Wall of the Officers' Mess Ante-Room

History Associated with the Painting from a Plaque in the Officers' Mess

In 1682 the Great Elector (1640 - 1688) founded an African Trading Company, which was a joint - stock company to carry out business for the Great Elector's trade and colonial business in West Africa.   The head office of the company was established in Emden, where in August 1683 the East Friesen and the town of Emden joined the company as partners.   In November 1682, with the agreement of the East Friesen, Brandenburg troops landed in Greetsiel and captured the fort.   These troops were finally transferred to Emden where a Brandenburg Admiralty was established with Emden ships operating under the Brandenburg eagle

In 1681 the Great Elector had already sent a ship to Ghana under the command of Captain Blonk.   At Cape Three Points, in present day Ghana, Blonk had agreed with the resident chieftains that they would accept the Great Elector as their supreme chief and also pledged to only trade with ships that flew the flag of Brandenburg.

The first incident in the colony in 1682 compelled the Great Elector to send Major von Grüben to Ghana to restore peace and public order.   This expedition consisted of the ships 'Churprinz' commanded by Captain Voß with a crew of 60 and 32 cannons and the 'Mohrian' Commanded by Captain Blonk with a crew of 40 and 12 cannons.

To occupy the colony the following persons were also taken:

The engineers Walter and Lengeben, the Ensign von Selbing, a sergeant, 2 corporals, 2 musicians and 40 good healthy musketeers from the Regiment of Foot that were stationed in Prussia (East Prussia).

The large painting in the Officers Mess depicts the sailing of the 'Churprinz' from the port of Emden in 1682.

On New Years day 1683, Major von Grüben placed the Brandenburg flag, with the red eagle on a white background, on the shore of Ghana and began to build Fort Groß Friedrichsburg.

The fort, built with bricks shipped from Brandenburg, had an armament of 44 cannons and was fully independent.   Under the personnel were barbers, tailors, carpenters, cobblers, master-carpenters, gunsmiths, bricklayers, bakers and coopers - all trades were represented.

Major von Grüben and the chiefs agreed upon a defence contract.   The trade with nigger slaves, gold, ivory, ostrich feathers, salt, rubber, etc. worked out well for the trading company.   In exchange for slaves Brandenburg received land on the Danish island of St.Thomas in the West Indies.

Due to intrigue by the Dutch West Indian Co., who viewed Brandenburg as annoying competition, the West Indian Trading Co. finally turned into a business operating at a loss.   In 1686 the Great Elector was forced to pay out the share-holders and take over the business himself.   Under the management of his successors the business finally ended in a disaster with a dept of 500.000 Reichstaler and Dutch traders took over the bankrupt estate in 1686.   Friedrich I sold his possessions in Africa to the Dutch Trading Co. in 1720 for 7200 Ducats and 12 niggers.

1992 Memories about the Paintings - Mr. August Gaßmann.

Mr. August Gaßmann, Jever athlete and pupil of the Mariengymnasiums, better known as Toni Gaßmann, has thankfully passed on the following historical background to both paintings.
Mr. Gaßmann started his military service in October 1936 as Mess Orderly in the temporary Officers Mess (2 small rooms above the kitchen in Block 22) - Sgt. Mess in our day.   From November 1938 he served as Senior Mess NCO in what was in those days a relatively luxurious Officers Mess and under the supervision of Major Schumacher was involved in furnishing the new building.
Mr. Gaßmann can recall that when both paintings were delivered some unpleasant surprises came to light.   Professor Scheurich, an artist from Berlin, who was commissioned to paint both paintings had engaged some 2 dozen artists to work on his various projects and so several artists had worked on both paintings.   This could then explain the following mishaps: The large painting 'Churprinz' was 20 cm. too small all round to fit the already finished frame mounted on the wall.   Fortunately the canvas was large enough so that Professor Scheurich was able extend the painting to the size required. Even worse though was the fact that all pennants at the top of the masts were flying in the opposite direction to that of the sails.   With Mr. Gaßmann holding the palette, Professor Scheurich again had to make some corrections and turned all pennants a little more clearly into wind direction apart from one, the standard with the eagle, which was not altered.

Jever,   22 December 1992          Burger          Major and Jever Officers Mess President.

Extract from Short Jever History included in the Booklet Issued for the Headmasters' Visit - 16May60.

The Mess itself was built for the German officers in 1938/39 at a cost which was high even for those days.   It is said to have been lavishly furnished.   The paintings in the Ante-Room are an indication of this, as they alone cost in the region of 8,500,000 reichmarks.   They were painted in situ by a Professor Paul Scheurich, born in New York in 1885, pupil at the Berlin Academy of Arts and finally Professor at the State-Porcelaine-Manufactory in Maissen.   He died during the war.   The painting on the north wall shows events in connection with the history of the Jade Busan during the time of the Gross Kurfeurst (the Great Elector - Frederich Willhelm, 1640-1686) by whom, it is understood, a harbour was built for the Brandenburg-Prussian Fleet.   

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Smaller Painting on the East Wall of the Officers' Mess Ant-Room

1992 Memories about the Paintings - Mr. August Gaßmann.

The other painting 'Rider in the Desert' was also delivered with some bitter flaws.   The pictured horse was moving in a so-called 'camel gait' and not ambling as a horse would do.   Professor Scheurich also corrected this mistake locally.

Jever, 22 December 1992     Burger          Major and Jever Officers Mess President

Extract from Short Jever History included in the Booklet Issued for the Headmasters' Visit - 16May60.

The painting on the east wall has no known significance but it depicts the eighteenth century and its title is believed to be "Rider and Escort on Foot."