The New International Encyclopædia/Wissmann, Hermann von

WISSMANN, vĭs'män, Hermann von (1853—). A German-African explorer, born at Frankfort-on-the-Oder. He entered the army and became lieutenant in 1874. In 1880 he accompanied Dr. Pogge, in the service of the German African Society, on an expedition into Central Africa. Setting out from Saint Paul de Loanda on the west coast, they readied Nyangwe in April, 1882. Thence Pogge returned to the west coast, but Wissmann kept on eastward and reached Zanzibar. In 1883-85 he explored the region of the Kassai River and other parts of the Congo Basin for the Belgian Government, and in 1886-87 traveled from Lubuku on the Congo to Mozambique, by way of Nyangwe and lakes Tanganyika and Nyassa. In 1889-90, as Imperial commissioner, he suppressed the Arab uprising under Bushiri in German East Africa. In 1892 he failed in an attempt to take two steamers to the Victoria Nyanza by way of lakes Nyassa and Tanganyika. In 1895-96 he was Governor of German East Africa. Among his published works are: Im Innern Afrikas (3d ed. 1891); Unter deutscher Flagge quer durch Afrika, 1880-83 (7th ed. 1890); Meine zweite Durchquerung Aequatorial-Afrikas vom Kongo zum Zambesi während der Jahre 1886 u. 1887 (1890); Schilderungen und Ratschläge zur Vorbereitung für den Aufenthalt und den Dienst in den deutschen Schutzgebieten (1895). Consult Ruhle, Hermann von Wissmann (Münster, 1892).