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qui a fondé la ville de lomé ?

**The Mysterious Founding of Lomé: Myth, Colonization, and the Marketplace**

**Introduction**
Lomé, the dynamic capital of Togo, is a city shrouded in a centuries-old debate: Who truly founded it? Was it a visionary colonial governor, enterprising merchants evading taxes, or a local chief whose legacy has been lost? This article explores the conflicting narratives behind the birth of one of West Africa’s most vibrant cities.

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### **The Colonial Narrative: “Köhler, the Visionary?”**
Historical references often cite German Governor **August Köhler** as a key figure, claiming he planned Lomé’s layout in the late 19th century. A 1994 study from the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD) highlights this narrative, stating Köhler is wrongly credited with founding Lomé in 1897. He oversaw the construction of the iconic **Governor’s Palace** between 1898–1905, cementing Lomé’s status as Togo’s administrative heart.

But is he the founder?

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### **The Market Origins: A Haven from Taxes**
A more plausible origin story emerges from economic motives rather than grand colonial projects. According to the research site **Elombarty.mondoblog.org**, Lomé was born as *Bey-Beach* in **1880**, not by a single individual, but as a trading post established by **local Ewe merchants and European traders** fleeing heavy British taxes on the Gold Coast (modern Ghana). The city thrived as a haven for cocoa and palm oil commerce, operated by its **private landowners**, who retained control even under German rule.

This theory is echoed by the academic paper *“La naissance d’une capitale africaine: Lomé”* (1994), which emphasizes that Lomé’s birth was **decentralized and organic**, driven by traders evading Anglo-French disputes over land and tariffs.

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### **Local Traditions vs. Historical Records**
Local oral traditions sometimes attribute Lomé’s foundation to **ancestral figures like Konou or Avounya**, sons of a chief from Agbatopé. However, modern research dismisses these myths as conflicting with documented history. For instance, **Togo Tribune** explicitly rejects the existence of a founder named Djitri, stressing the need for evidence over mythmaking.

The debate reflects broader tensions between colonial narratives and indigenous histories. While elders today might recount ancestral origins, written records prioritize European and merchant-driven developments.

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### **The German Colonizers’ Role**
After Germany annexed Togo in 1884, it was not content with Bey-Beach’s organic growth. The colony’s administrators imposed a structured city plan, relocating settlements and building infrastructure like the Governor’s Palace. Under Köhler, they made Lomé the capital in 1897, imposing order on a space previously governed by trade networks.

Yet this development was “rebranding,” not creation—Lomé already existed as a bustling harbor town.

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### **Why the Confusion Persists?**
Two factors fuel the debate:
1. **Colonial Documentation Biases**: Early reports often ignored local actors, centering European “civilizing” efforts. Sources like pre-World War I French studies erroneously credited colonial figures like König or Köhler.
2. **Mythologizing**: Towns worldwide often simplify their origins around symbolic figures. The absence of a clear “founder” in written records complicates this, sparking folklore.

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### **Conclusion: A City Born from Crossroads**
Lomé’s founding defies a single narrative. It emerged organically from the entrepreneurial spirit of **Ewe merchants and European traders** seeking tax-free trade in 1880. Colonial forces later institutionalized it as a hub, with Köhler systematizing its infrastructure.

Today, celebrations of “founders” risk oversimplifying a story of **collaboration and necessity**. As scholars remind us, Lomé’s true legacy lies in its status as **Africa’s first “tax haven”**—a pragmatic birth on the edge of empires.

Let’s celebrate this layered history: not a “father,” but a marketplace of ideas, cultures, and ambitions.

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*Sources*: Wikipedia (Togo History), Elombarty.mondoblog.org, IRD research papers, Togo Tribune.

*Explore more stories about Lomé’s hidden histories here: [Article URLs]*

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This post weaves together colonial documents, anthropological debates, and economic history to challenge the myth of a lone founder—revealing instead a city forged by global trade and resistance to colonial rule. What do you think? Should Lomé celebrate its merchant roots over colonizers? Share your thoughts in the comments!

*Header image: The historic Palais des gouverneurs, now a museum, symbolizing Lomé’s colonial phase (1897–today).*