Francisca Christina of the Palatinate-Sulzbach

Kammermohr (or ''Hofmohr''; pl. ''Kammermohren'', lit. "chamber-black") was a

German-language German (, ) is a West Germanic language in the Indo-European language family, mainly spoken in Western and Central Europe. It is the majority and official (or co-official) language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It is a ...

term since the 18th century for a court servant of black skin colour, which had by that time long been a common feature in European courts.

History

People of black

skin colour Human skin color ranges from the darkest brown to the lightest hues. Differences in skin color among individuals is caused by variation in pigmentation, which is largely the result of genetics (inherited from one's biological parents), and in ...

from the

Orient The Orient is a term referring to the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of the term ''Occident'', which refers to the Western world. In English, it is largely a meto ...

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

had often been taken to

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

as valets during the time of

colonialism Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...

. This became common in the 16th-century and continued to be fashionable until the early 19th-century. The term ''Kammermohr'' was first used as an official term in a court protocol in 1747 in

Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...

. The splendidly decorated Kammermohr, often in

livery A livery is an identifying design, such as a uniform, ornament, symbol, or insignia that designates ownership or affiliation, often found on an individual or vehicle. Livery often includes elements of the heraldry relating to the individual or ...

, served a ruler, church dignitaries or wealthy merchants as an exotic object of prestige and as a status symbol, showcasing their wealth and luxury lifestyle. Above all, however, the valets symbolized the worldwide relations of their employer.

Etymology

'Kammer' is the German word for chamber, in particular the private rooms of a wealthy person. 'Mohr' is ultimately derived from the name for the

Moors The term Moor is an Endonym and exonym, exonym used in European languages to designate the Muslims, Muslim populations of North Africa (the Maghreb) and the Iberian Peninsula (particularly al-Andalus) during the Middle Ages. Moors are not a s ...

, a historic people in the western Mediterranean who originated from northern Africa during the Middle Ages. Hence, 'Kammermohr' would translate to 'chamber Moor'. Other similarly derived words include

Blackamoor Blackamoors may refer to: * Blackamoor (decorative arts), stylized depictions of black Africans in the decorative arts and jewelry * Blackmoor (campaign setting), a fantasy roleplaying game campaign setting * ''Blackmoor'' (supplement), a 1975 su ...

, Matamoros,

Maure A Moor's head, also known as a Maure, since the 11th century, is a symbol depicting the head of a black moor. The term moor came to define anyone who was African and Muslim. Origin The precise origin of the Moor's head as a heraldic symbol is ...

, Mohr im Hemd,

Moresca Moresca (Italian), morisca (Spanish), mourisca (Portuguese) or moresque, mauresque (French), also known in French as the danse des bouffons, is a dance of exotic character encountered in Europe in the Renaissance period. This dance usually took fo ...

, Moresche,

Moresque Moresque is an obsolete alternative term to "Moorish" in English, and in the arts has some specific meanings. By itself, the word is used to describe the stylized plant-based forms of tendrils and leaves found in ornament and decoration in the ...

Moreška Moreška is a traditional sword dance from the town of Korčula, on the Croatian island of the same name in the Adriatic. Dating back hundreds of years, the Moreška is an elaborate production involving two groups of dancers, engaging in a mock b ...

Morianbron Morianbron () is a small bridge in the gardens of the Ulriksdal Palace in Solna, Sweden, named after the pair of sculptures of so-called blackamoors (e.g. black Moors) standing by the bridge. Arguably the smallest bridge in the Swedish capital, i ...

Morisco ''Moriscos'' (, ; ; "Moorish") were former Muslims and their descendants whom the Catholic Church and Habsburg Spain commanded to forcibly convert to Christianity or face compulsory exile after Spain outlawed Islam. Spain had a sizeable Mus ...

Moros y cristianos ''Moros y Cristianos'' () or ''Moros i Cristians'' (), literally in English Moors and Christians, is a set of festival activities which are celebrated in many towns and cities of Spain, mainly in the southern Valencian Community. According ...

, and

Morris dance Morris dancing is a form of English folklore, English folk dance. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers in costume, usually wearing bell pads on their shins, their shoes or both. A ban ...

Notable examples

* Anton Wilhelm Amo, kammermohr of Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. *

Adriaan de Bruin Adriaan de Bruin (–1766), earlier called Tabo Jansz, was an enslaved servant ('' kammermohr'') of Dutch politician . Born in Africa and enslaved, he got to the Dutch Republic by way of either the Dutch Caribbean or in Dutch Surinam, and end ...

, kammermohr *

Angelo Soliman Angelo Soliman, born Mmadi Make, (c. 1721 – 1796) was an African-born Austrian Freemason and courtier. He achieved prominence in Viennese society and Freemasonry. Life His original name, Mmadi Make, is linked to a Nigerian chieftaincy system, ...

, kammermohr of Austrian Emperor Joseph II. *

Ignatius Fortuna Ignatius Christianus Fridericus Fortuna (died 24 November 1789) was a court servant prominent in the court of Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach, an abbess at Essen Abbey in Essen, Germany.Ute Küppers-Braun: ''Kammermohren: Ig ...

, kammermohr of Countess Palatine Francisca Christina of Sulzbach *

Gustav Badin Adolf Ludvig Gustav Fredrik Albert Badin (né Couchi; 1747 or 1750 – 1822), known as Badin, was a Swedish court servant (Kammermohr) and diarist. Originally a slave, he was the foster son and servant of Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden and a s ...

, kammermohr of first Queen Louisa Ulrika of Sweden and then

Princess Sophia Albertine of Sweden Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for t ...

. * Abraham Petrovich Hannibal, kammermohr of Peter the Great

References

{{reflist Anti-black racism in Germany 18th century in the Holy Roman Empire Courtiers Royal favourites Court titles

History

Etymology

Notable examples

See also

References