In 1934, the former director of the Biological Imperial Institute for Agriculture and Forestry (Biologische Reichsanstalt für Land- und Forstwirtschaft) Karl Braun (1870–1935) gave the so-called “Kolonialsammlung Braun” (Colonial Collection Braun) to the Hanseatic City of Stade, or rather its representative, the then mayor Hans Arthur Meyer (1884–1961). See the file „Transfer of a colonial collection from the senior government councillor Professor Dr. Karl Braun in Stade to the City of Stade” („Überlassung einer Kolonialsammlung vom Oberregierungsrat Professor Dr. Karl Braun in Stade an die Stadt Stade") at the Lower Saxony State Archives Stade (Niedersächsischen Landesarchiv Standort Stade).

source: Niedersächsisches Landesarchiv Standort Stade, Dep. 10 Nr. 03025

In 1997, the then city archivist Jürgen Bohmbach concludes a permanent loan agreement with the Museum Society Stade (Museumsverein Stade e.V.), for which the then director Gerd Mettjes signs. Thereafter, the collection from Karl Braun is transferred to the care of the Museum Society Stade (Museumsverein Stade e.V.).

source: Museen Stade, Vereinbarung Leihgabe "Brauns'sche Kolonialsammlung"

I: Okay thanks, I have another photo registered with the number 2018_18232_1, a person identified this, what is it called in Maasai? R2: ‘Engaremu’, currently it is still existing in our tradition, it is a knife after slaughtering a bull or anything which is good. I: So, it for slaughtering bulls or was there other uses? R2: Yes. I: Who stays with that knife? R2: An elderly man. I: Starting from what age? R2: The elderly man was the one who was keeping it, or you find his trusting wife was the one keeping it and it was not used in other uses, it was not touched by any other person. I: So, it was not touched by any other person? R2: Yes. I: And who were the makers? R2: The elderly people. R1: This is a knife I know it was used in many things, first the elderly could use it for slaughtering and secondly when an elderly reached the age of the older age, has entered in to the other age group, so a bull was slaughtered to give thanks to the whole community regarding to the number of the children he has obtained, that, this was a sign to show that he had entered to the goup of the older age. So, slaughtering a bull was a thanks giving in the community. I: Can you tell us what age group was it that a bull must be slaughtered? R1: This depends on the group he was released, so when you were still young and circumcised and by then when you got married and had children, because without having children you were unable to slaughter a bull, but if you had children you were slaughtering a bull to show the real situation of thanks giving, from there already you had completed the youth stage and you were entering the elderly stage, so already you had provided whatever was on earth and that was how it was done in our masai society. I: Is it still in use upto now? R1: Yes, the knife is still in use but it is mostly for the elderly men, if the elderly man has his own house he keeps it or he trusts his wife she can keep it for him, he can even curse it not to be touched at all unless he accepts it to be touched, hence all these are our cultures, traditions and customs in our Maasai society and it must be considered. R3: The use is for slaughtering a cow of the age group, because after being a moran you have gone to the stage of elderly, so at that stage you use it for slaughtering. I: It was when he was slaughtering? R3: Yes, it shows now his work is over. I: Can you tell us ‘Engalemu’ was made in what material? R3: It was made using sticks then you fix with this metal. R2: You know that is an old-fashioned metal, for those who knows it can even destroy a bone totally, it is being made very good and sharped by a sharpener, then the piece of stick was inserted properly. I: What kind of stick was used here? R2: That was a kind of roots from ‘olitepesi’ tree. I: Why using the roots? R2: It is very hard to crack, you could use ‘olitepesi’ or ‘osilale’, all these are trees hard to crack. I: So, it was very important I the society? R2: Yes, traditionally and customs. I: So, it was the trustful wife who was given to keep it? R2: Yes, to keep it but not for using it. I: So, it was only for slaughtering? R2: Yes, in a boma you must that knife. I: So, in a boma they must, have it? R2: Yes, the elderly knife.

source: Amani-Stade Project / Massai Field Research 2023 / Interview No. 06
author: I: Mohamed Seif, R1, R2, R3: Anonymous