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This Episode:
/u/yawarpoma explores the 16th Century colony in what is now Venezuela, granted by Charles V to a German banking family, the Welsers. The colony, established in the same period as Spanish successes in Mexico and Peru, struggled to meet those successes by searching for a quick route to the Pacific and for the fabled city of gold, always just one more valley over. Yet, at the same time, the Germans led some of the first European expeditions into northern South America, though they would occasionally race against and even clash with Spanish rivals in an attempt to stake a claim to wealth and territory. (69min)
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Coming up next episode: /u/sowser explores the decline and abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean.
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To begin with, a great big thanks to /u/400-Rabbits for inviting me to talk about my work. I had a blast and I hope that the community enjoys it.
I am working at my non-academic job this afternoon, so I may not get to answering any questions or responding to comments until after 9pm Eastern. I look forward to hearing what you have to say later this evening.
There are a few sources that I should provide for everyone. I am going to include German and Spanish sources, as the majority of the sources are not in English.
• Arciniegas, Germán. Germans in the Conquest of America: a Sixteenth-Century Venture. Translated by Angel Flores. New York: Macmillan, 1943.
• Federmann, Nicolas. Historia Indiana. Translated and edited by Juan Friede. Madrid: Artes Gráficas, 1958.
• Friede, Juan. “La introduccion de mineros alemanes en America por la compañia Welser de Augsburgo” Revista de Historia de América, 51. (June, 1961), pp 99-104.
• Friede, Juan. Los Welser en la Conquista de Venezuela. Caracas: Ediciones EDIME, 1961.
• Hutten, Philipp von. Das Gold der Neuen Welt: Die Papiere des Welser-Konquistadors und Generalkapitäns von Venezuela. Edited by Eberhard Schmitt und Friedrich Karl von Hutten. Hildburghausen: Verlag Frankenschwelle, 1996.
• Lacas, M.M. “A Sixteenth-Century German Colonizing Venture in Venezuela” The Americas, 9 (January, 1953, pp 275-290.
• Simmer, Götz. Gold und Sklaven: Die Provinz Venezuela während der Welser-Verwaltung (1528-1556). Berlin: Wissenschaft und Technik, 2000.
Thank you, this is excellent.
I understand that, throughout his reign, Charles was very sensitive to the tensions between his Spanish subjects and his Flemish/Central European entourage and connections. But still, it has never been clear to me what exactly motivated Charles to allow the Spaniards to get rid of the Germans in South America like that, taking into account the fact that Spain maintained heavy debts with pretty much every major Central European banker.
EDIT: Hell, now that I remember, even his nephew was married to a Welser.
Are there still German place names in northern South America from this period?
Special thanks to Elm, Mark K., Vlad, Max M., Will R., Sarah G., and Bill R., for their generous support of the podcast through the AskHistorians Patreon.
Special mention to Matt F., for boldly being our first supporter, Andy B. for putting us over the top in meeting our first funding goal, and Bill R. for getting us to our second funding goal.
And, of course, a big thanks to /u/Yawarpoma for being a superb guest.
Thanks! I look forward to listening in this week.
Coming up next episode: /u/sowser explores the decline and abolition of slavery in the British Caribbean.
Yes please!