Person

Theodor Leutwein

1849–1921 · 19th century

Theodor Leutwein was a German officer who led the colony of South West Africa from 1894, as governor from 1898 to 1905. He ruled largely through treaties with African leaders, playing them against each other, while settlers took land and cattle. When the Herero rose in 1904 he favoured negotiation, and he was superseded by Lothar von Trotha.

Theodor Leutwein
Image: Unknown photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

German South West Africa

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Theodor Leutwein. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodor-leutwein
MLA
“Theodor Leutwein.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodor-leutwein. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Theodor Leutwein.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodor-leutwein.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Theodor Leutwein’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/theodor-leutwein (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻