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, there is another photo with registration number 2018_18312_1, look and tell us what is that? R: This is a thing which has been crafted by minyaa I: How is it being called? tell us its name R: We used to call it Kome I: Kome? R: Eee Kome I: What did it mean, by being called Kome? R: This meant as you know the people of the past used to make some beer on holed iron sheets, the sugarcane was being peeled and pounded to produce something smoothly which filled in it and squeezed to filter it, it was used being used as a filter by the people of the past I: They filtered with it? R: Eeeeh! That is how I observed even my mother used to do that, she scratched the sugarcanes on the iron sheet and mixed with some water very slowly because there were some remainings of the sugarcane, if it was a can had to produce certain amount of water, then she filled it in here and start to squeeze to filter them until they got dry for making beer I: Was it only used to make some beer? R: In most of the cases it was used in making beer because in there we didn’t have some coconut, soin filtering they used these, I don’t know how other used to filter it I: Which community used it in filtering beer? R: The Sambaa I: The Sambaa? R: Eee I: It was commonly available in which regions, that object? R: In most of the cases it was in Lusho district, it was where I saw them I: When was that? I: Okay R: Eeeeeh! I: Okay, so it was being used in sqeezing some beer? R: Eeeh! For sqeezing the beer ee I: Or? R: Or it was used in sqeezing some immatured maize, at that time the immatured maize were being milled in the traditional mill to make porridge without having some particles, because when hunger came and someone didn’t had money to go to the shop, they used to mill the immatured maize and put them in here to get its fluid, which was then boiled ready for the children, they drunk it and the remainings of the maize were thrown away eeeh!it porridge was so soft and suitable for the children, that was how I used to see it, for you I don’t know how you did it I: Hahahah! So, it was being used in making a child porridge? R: Eeeeh! It was being used in making a child porridge and beer eeh I: Okay, looking into that object, who were the commonly user between the males and the females? R: Commonly it was the women I: The women? R: Eeeh! It was tchem who were commonly using that object in sqeezing the beer I: The women of which age? R: It was being taught even to the young girls of twelve years, because they couldn’t do it alone everyday, so the young girls from the age of twelve to fifteen and above I: Why was it commonly used by women? R: The work of milling the sugarcanes were occupied by women, the men were also doing it but squeezing was only being done by women because it was their work eeeh! And I didn’t see a man squeezing them, it was the women who re capable in hand activities such as sqeezing for beer making, it was the women I: That object is it still being used? R: I dont see it I: They are no longer used. R: It is no longer been used nowdays, people are using some filters, the iron sheet have been drilled and used eeh! But in the past was even used in sqeezing coconut but nowdays they are no longer available, they have dissapered I: So, this object is no longer having value to the Sambaa community? R: It has been a long time since I saw it, it should have been lost its value eeh I: Is it because it is no longer used? R: Because they brought the modern objects, it makes the trational ones disappears I: So, they are no longer been made, and where were they being made? R: These ones are still being found to the people of mainland, but they are small one which are being used in keeping some flour, the use has changed it is no loner used in filtering some beer, they make some basket to be be carried to the market I: That filter is it still being made? R: I dont see them I: Why are they not made? R: The people today are modern, they use the modern objects I: The modern hahahah R: Eeeeh! hahahah I: Okay R: They use the modern objects I: Who used to make these? R: These were made by the Sambaa elders I: Was it the males or the females? R: The males I: The males? R: Eeh I: So, it was tchem who commonly made it, and who were the users? R: It was the women I: It was the older people and not the youth? R: It was the older people who used to make these I: Why it was only the older people and not the youth? R: The elders were so creative and because they used to sell it, they didn’t make it for free, they were selling eeh I: Can you tellu s what materials have been used in making that object? R: This is only minyaa I: What is minyaa R: Minyaa it is ukindu I: Ukindu? R: Eeeh! There are some small Ukindu and big ones, but this should be the big ukindu eeh! Ukindu when you say it mnyaa no, let say it is ukindu I: If that object is brought in the current market, how much would it be sold? R: Nowday you can but it for two, three or four thousand eeh I: Okay, thank you we have finished it R: It was cheap

source: Amani-Stade Project / Amani Field Research 2023, Interview No. 03
author: I: Mohamed Seif, R: Anonymous