German Leased Territory Kiautschou Bay

The German concession territory of Kiaochow (present-day Pinyin) with its capital Tsingtau (present-day Qingdao) was located on the coast of the Shantung (Shandong) province in Eastern China. After the murder of two German missionaries in 1897, the German Reich put the Chinese government under increased political pressure. To avoid a military confrontation, the Quing Dynasty finally granted the German Reich a 99-year lease on Kiautschou Bay in 1898.

The coastal area served as a base for the German fleet and as a strategic hub for overseas trade. Kiautschou was to the German Reich what Hong Kong was to the British Empire: an economic model colony. However, the planned expansion of German hegemony into the interior came to nought.

At the beginning of the First World War, Japanese and British troops invaded the region. The Japanese army captured Shandong on 27 August 1914, forcing the German forces of occupation to surrender and withdraw from China. It was not until 1922 that the region was returned to China by Japan.

Aspect of Tsingtau, no year, Colonial Picture Archive, University Library Frankfurt/Main
Aspect of Tsingtau, no year, Colonial Picture Archive, University Library Frankfurt/Main
Map of Kiautschou Bay, China, no year, Colonial Picture Archive, Frankfurt/Main University Library
Map of Kiautschou Bay, China, no year, Colonial Picture Archive, Frankfurt/Main University Library