A146/ FROBENIUS’ EXPEDITION TO SOUTHERN RHODESIA
1 Report of the negotiations with the Colonial Secretary, Minister Leggate, concerning authorization for excavation and the division of the finds. 7 leaves (tp.; in German)
2 W.M. Leggate, Colonial Secretary, to Dr Frobenius, 28 Nov. 1928 – concerning permission to undertake excavations for twelve months from 1 Dec.; lists some conditions. 2 leaves (tp. copy)
3 Dept. of the Colonial Secretary to ibid., 17 Jan. 1930 – permission is given for relics found during the excavation to be removed, on the condition that a list of these is furnished, and that half of them should be returned to the government by Sept. 1930; the division of the relics shall be on the decision of Prof. Barnard of Cape Town (tp. copy)
4 Dr Leo Frobenius to the Colonial Secretary, 10 Feb. – impossible to divide the finds as Dr Barnard is away; as he needs the finds in Germany for exhibition and analysis, suggests he take them there; from there he will return the share due to southern Rhodesia; submits request for grant to assist in publication of his results (tp. copy)
5 W.M. Leggate to Dr Frobenius, 19 Feb. – refers to letter of 17 Jan.; suggests that relics be retained until the return of Prof. Barnard; cannot make the grant requested (tp. copy)
6 Dr Jensen to Colonial Secretary’s Office, 9 Apr. – acknowledges letter sent to Prof. Frobenius [/5]; relics were shipped according to proposal made in letter of 10 Feb.; on arrival of luggage in Germany, a list will be sent, with a proposal as to division; asks whether refusal of grant also applies to a sum for preparing an English edition (tp. copy)
7 Secretary, Dept. of Colonial Secretary, to Dr Jensen, 21 May – the Colonial Secretary will be glad to receive list of finds; Government not prepared to contribute towards an English edition of results (tp. copy)
8 Wieschhoff to Dept. of Colonial Secretary, 24 July – in the name of Prof. Frobenius, informs him that the finds have been sent for analysis; many exhibitions are planned; would be grateful to keep the finds for the exhibitions; the list is not yet drawn up as the baggage came very late (tp. copy)
9 E. Verweyen to Dept. of Colonial Secretary, 8 Oct. – the catalogue of finds will be sent by 15 Dec. (tp. copy)
10 Secretary, Dept. of the Colonial Secretary, to Dr Jensen, 3 Nov. – Colonial Secretary does not see any justification for the delay in sending the list; refers to letter of 9 Apr.; refers to Minister’s instructions that finds were not to be removed without his authority; these broken undertakings not paralleled in arrangements made with any other scientific associations (tp. copy)
11 Dr Jensen to Dept. of the Colonial Secretary, 3 Dec. 2 leaves (tp. copy; in German)
12 Wieschhoff to the Colonial Secretary, 7 Jan. 1931 – includes lists of items found. 5 leaves (tp. copy; in German)
13 W.M. Leggate to Dr Frobenius, 25 Feb. – refers to previous correspondence; in spite of agreement, Frobenius removed finds contrary to the law; no list of finds was furnished until 29 Jan.; he [Frobenius] is claiming possession of the most valuable find on the most hollow pretext; failing Frobenius’ agreement to submit possession of this find to arbitration, he will denounce Frobenius’ action to the Legislative Assembly. 3 leaves (tp. copy)
14 Dr Frobenius to W.M. Leggate, 31 Mar. 6 leaves (tp. copy; in German)
15 8 May – extract from newspaper Star, Johannesburg; ‘Breach of Agreement Alleged’ (tp. copy)
16 Dr Jensen to the Colonial Secretary, 20 May. 3 leaves (tp. copy; in German)
17 July – extract from Man, July 1931, no. 154, on ‘The Frobenius Expedition to South Africa’ by J.L. Myres, RAI President 1928-30; editor of Man 1931-46. 2 leaves (tp. copy)
18 Dr Jensen to […?], 10 June – contradicts points made in articles in three South African newspapers, concerning Dr Frobenius’ excavations. 3 leaves (tp. copy)
19 Dr Frobenius, nd. 2 leaves (tp. copy; in German)
20 Photographs [of the single gold find?]
21 Royal Mint, Pretoria, 30 Aug. 1929 – Mint Certificate for gold plate (photograph of note)
22 Official Report – Southern Rhodesia – Debates of the Legislative Assembly, Vol. 10, No. 30, 7 May 1931 (printed booklet) [see pp. 1718-1719]
23 Dr Frobenius to the Editor, Man, 22 Sept. 1931 – refers to note in Man [see /17]; provides ‘rectification’ of various points (tp. copy)
24 Ibid. 2 leaves (autogr. copy by J.L. Myres)
25 Dr Jensen to RAI, 28 Sept. – letter of 22 Sept. has been returned (tp.; in German)
26 Ibid. to Hanns Vischer, 3 Oct. (tp.; in German)
27 Hanns Vischer to J.L. Myres, 19 Oct. – on Frobenius; believes he has made important discoveries; would like the Rhodesian affair cleared up; sends Frobenius’ letter (autogr.)
28 J.L. Myres to Dr Jensen, 23 Oct. – has received his letter sent to Hanover Square; RAI has not been there for more than twenty years; Dr Frobenius’ letter will be published in Man in due course (autogr. draft)
29 Ibid. to the High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia, 24 Oct. – on his piece in Man [see /17]; has received enclosed letter from Dr Frobenius [see /23]; has sent a copy to Colonial Secretary for his observations; asks if he might communicate with the Colonial Secretary by cable; discusses when the letter can be printed in Man (autogr. draft)
30 B.F. Wright, Secretary, Office of the High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia, to J.L. Myres, 27 Oct. – High Commissioner is forwarding a copy of the correspondence to the Colonial Secretary (tp.)
31 J.L. Myres to Mr Leggate, 28 Oct. – on his piece in Man [see /17]; has received enclosed letter from Dr Frobenius [see /23]; High Commissioner suggested that he ask Dr Frobenius for a copy of the whole correspondence and of his permits; on what he intends to publish in Man (autogr. draft)
32 Hanns Vischer to J.L. Myres, 7 Nov. – thanks him for publishing Frobenius’ letter (autogr. pc)
33 J.L. Myres to Dr Jensen, 15 Nov. – asks for full text of correspondence between Dr Frobenius and the Colonial Secretary; asks for dates when the antiquities were removed from Rhodesia (autogr. draft)
34 Dr Jensen to J.L. Myres, 23 Nov. – sends report of negotiations with the Colonial Secretary[?] [see /1-/19]. 2 leaves (tp.; in German)
35 J.L. Myres to the High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia, 23 Nov. – has received copies of correspondence between Dr Frobenius and the Colonial Secretary; asks his permission to publish extracts from letters from the Colonial Secretary; has not yet had his observations (autogr. draft)
36 B.F. Wright, Office of the High Commissioner for Southern Rhodesia, to J.L. Myres, 25 Nov. – High Commissioner has received a cable from the Colonial Secretary; he is writing to J.L. Myres, controverting Frobenius’ letter of 22 Sept.; is sending copy of the correspondence; presumes Myres will delay publication until this is received (tp.)
37 W.M. Leggate to J.L. Myres, 26 Nov. – refutes each paragraph of Dr Frobenius’ letter of 22 Sept.; removal of gold plate was a violation of the law; balance of finds removed without permission; Dr Barnard informs him that he was never asked to divide the finds; queries Frobenius’ reference to ‘consent’ for the removal; Dr Frobenius has not replied to request to submit the possession of the gold to arbitration; 3 leaves (tp.)
38 J.L. Myres to B.F. Wright, 27 Nov. – thanks him for letter of 25 Nov.; will await Colonial Secretary’s reply before proceeding with publication (autogr. draft)
39 W.M. Leggate to J.L. Myres, ibid. – thanks him for opportunity to reply to Frobenius’ letter addressed to Man; believes Frobenius did not expect him to see the letter; is sending the whole file of correspondence to the High Commissioner; on other matters. 2 leaves (tp.)
40 Hanns Vischer to ibid., 21 Dec. – asks if he has published Frobenius’ letter; the German Foreign Office is concerned about the matter, but prepared to consider it closed if Frobenius’ side of the story is published somewhere; anxious to do everything to smooth down misunderstandings (tp.)
41 J.L. Myres to Hanns Vischer, 22 Dec. – received letter from Dr Jensen, consisting of contradictions of the Colonial Secretary’s statements to the Legislative Council; asked Dr Jensen for copies of the documents referred to; Dr Jensen sent the whole dossier, which justifies everything said by the Colonial Secretary; on Frobenius’ removal of the finds without permission; has received the Colonial Secretary’s comments; a German ethnologist informs him that among German colleagues, annoyance is political rather than scientific (autogr. draft)
42 Ibid. to B.F. Wright, ibid. – has received the observations of the Colonial Secretary; Colonial Secretary encloses a letter which will appear in Man in Feb. [1932]; on possibility of publishing it sooner (autogr. draft)
43 B.F. Wright to J.L. Myres, 23 Dec. – on correspondence forwarded by W.M. Leggate; Prof. Frobenius has caused difficulty in other countries he has visited; Mr Leggate asks to be informed when the letter will appear in Man (tp.)
44 Ibid., 30 Dec. – letters have crossed; repeats request to be informed about date of publication (tp.)
45 J.L. Myres to B.F. Wright, 31 Dec. – Mr Leggate’s reply to Dr Frobenius will appear in Jan. [1931] issue of Man; Frobenius’ letter [/23] will be no. 41; Mr Leggate’s reply [/37] will be no. 42 (autogr. draft)
46 Ibid. to W.M. Leggate, ibid. – his letter will appear in Jan. [1931] issue of Man; has informed the High Commissioner; is grateful for the trouble he has taken with ‘this tiresome affair’ (autogr. draft)
47 Ibid. to Dr Jensen, 2 Jan. 1932 – has sent to Frobenius a copy of Man, containing his letter and that of W.M. Leggate; thinks he will agree that the matter is now cleared up; has announced in Man that the correspondence may be consulted in the library of the RAI (autogr. draft)
48 B.F. Wright to J.L. Myres, 4 Jan. – thanks him for copy of Man; has informed Mr Leggate of the publication of the letters (tp.)
49 [?] to ibid., 7 Jan. – acknowledgment of the issue of Man and letter to Dr Jensen (tp.; in German)