The Bonakouamouang Chimney – situated in

Douala Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and its economic capital. It is also the capital of Cameroon's Littoral Region (Cameroon), Littoral Region. It was home to Central Africa's largest port, now being replaced by Kribi port. It has the country ...

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

in the district of Akwa neighborhood of Bessegue – is a relict of the waterworks built by the Germans at the beginning of the 19th century. The waterworks was part of the first phase of industrial investments aimed at the urbanisation of Kamerunstadt (Douala). The supply of running water was necessary to allow the implementation of the major development works which would radically transform the traditional village of Douala into an urban agglomeration of administrative and commercial buildings, private residences, places of worship and schools. The urban plan of von Brautisch, head of Kamerunstadt district under the government of

Jesko von Puttkamer Jesko Albert Eugen von Puttkamer (2 July 1855 – 23 January 1917) was a German diplomat, colonial administrator, and military officer who served as colonial governor of German Kamerun from 1895 to 1907. Early life and career Jesko von P ...

(1895-1907), changed the local way of life and economy: wide streets were opened up, the Bonaku (Akwatown) marshes were drained, an embankment was built providing a route between Bonanjo and Akwa, the harbour area was expanded... henceforward denying fishermen any direct access to the river. The railway infrastructure created from the beginning of the 20th century was to develop communications with the country’s interior. Thus the Besséké valley became home to the first station on the town’s left bank, in the port area. From 1909 the Northern railway line was completed, linking

Bonabéri Bonabery is a district of Douala, the largest city and economic capital of Cameroon. It is located on the right bank of the Wouri River, opposite the districts of Akwa, Deido and Bonanjo. Bonabery is home to many industries, markets, and transpo ...

and

Nkongsamba Nkongsamba is a city in western Cameroon. It is in the Moungo department, which is in the Littoral. As of the 2005 Census, the city had a population of 104,050. It is a centre for the farming of palm oil, bananas and coffee, and is between two ...

. Work on the line joining Douala and

Yaoundé Yaoundé (; , ) is the Capital city, capital city of Cameroon. It has a population of more than 2.8 million which makes it the second-largest city in the country after the port city Douala. It lies in the Centre Region (Cameroon), Centre Region o ...

began at the end of 1910-beginning of 1911. Requisitioned as forced labour for these undertakings, the human cost of laying the foundations for the new colonial economy was a high one for the local workforce. In 2006 the building is highlighted by an urban sign produced by

doual'art doual'art is a non profit cultural organisation and art centre founded in 1991 in Douala, Cameroon and focussed on new urban practices of African cities. History doual'art was registered as a non profit organization in 1992 and it was establish ...

and designed by Sandrine Dole; the sign presents an historical image of the building and a description of its history.
Bonakouamouang Chimney
'' in ''Douala Ville d'art et d'histoire'', doual'art, Douala, 2006.

References

External links

{{Commons category, Bonakouamouang Chimney Buildings and structures in Douala

See also

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External links