Alfred Ilg
Encyclopedia
Alfred Ilg was a Swiss
engineer and a confident to Ethiopia
n Emperor Menelik II
. He was born in Frauenfeld
, Switzerland.
. He contributed to the construction of the new capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
. The victory of Ethiopia over the invading Italians at the Battle of Adowa
in 1896 can be tracked to his inventions, as his efforts allowed the local production of weapons and ammunition, freeing Ethiopia from the need of imports.
The emperor Menelik II rewarded Ilg with the title counselor in the range of an excellency in 1897 and, furthermore, named him minister of foreign affairs for the years 1897 to 1907. He showed his competence as an engineer when planning and implementing the railway line
from Djibouti
to the capital. He was also responsible for supervising the design and construction of the first piped water supply to the capital and for installing electrical power in the imperial palace in 1905. Ilg was leading in the construction of several public buildings and worked as chef de protcolle and secretary for the emperor, receiving the highest medal
available, the Star of Ethiopia.
Further achievements worth mentioning are the creation of a unified national currency
system and the erection of a postal system. When Friedrich Rosen
, an orientalist
and leader of an official German delegation established several treaties between Ethiopia and Germany on 7 March 1905, Ilg's influence at court began to dwindle. He could not (or did not want to) do anything against several intrigues at court; which lead to his resignation in 1907.
Alfred Ilg returned to Switzerland and settled in Zürich
where he died at the age of 61.
Ilg was a contemporary of the French poet-turned-trader Arthur Rimbaud
, and was his friend and frequent correspondent in East Africa.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
engineer and a confident to Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
n Emperor Menelik II
Menelek II of Ethiopia
Emperor Menelik II GCB, GCMG, baptized as Sahle Maryam , was Negus of Shewa , then of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death. At the height of his internal power and external prestige, the process of territorial expansion and creation of the modern empire-state had been completed by 1898...
. He was born in Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld
Frauenfeld is the capital of the canton of Thurgau in Switzerland.-Early history:The earliest trace of human settlement are several La Tène era graves to the east of Langdorf. The Roman road from Oberwinterthur to Pfyn ran through what is now the Allmend in Frauenfeld. Two Roman villas were...
, Switzerland.
Life
Alfred Ilg was sent to Ethiopia on behalf of a Swiss company in 1879 and served at the court of Emperor Menelik II (who became emperor in 1889), where he quickly learned the Amharic languageAmharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
. He contributed to the construction of the new capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa is the capital city of Ethiopia...
. The victory of Ethiopia over the invading Italians at the Battle of Adowa
Battle of Adowa
The Battle of Adwa was fought on 1 March 1896 between Ethiopia and Italy near the town of Adwa, Ethiopia, in Tigray...
in 1896 can be tracked to his inventions, as his efforts allowed the local production of weapons and ammunition, freeing Ethiopia from the need of imports.
The emperor Menelik II rewarded Ilg with the title counselor in the range of an excellency in 1897 and, furthermore, named him minister of foreign affairs for the years 1897 to 1907. He showed his competence as an engineer when planning and implementing the railway line
Imperial Railway Company of Ethiopia
Rail transport in Ethiopia currently consists only of a line from Djibouti to Dire Dawa. The line continues from Dire Dawa to Addis Ababa, but is no longer operational...
from Djibouti
Djibouti
Djibouti , officially the Republic of Djibouti , is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. The remainder of the border is formed by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at the east...
to the capital. He was also responsible for supervising the design and construction of the first piped water supply to the capital and for installing electrical power in the imperial palace in 1905. Ilg was leading in the construction of several public buildings and worked as chef de protcolle and secretary for the emperor, receiving the highest medal
Order (decoration)
An order or order of merit is a visible honour, awarded by a government, dynastic house or international organization to an individual, usually in recognition of distinguished service to a nation or to humanity. The distinction between orders and decorations is somewhat vague, except that most...
available, the Star of Ethiopia.
Further achievements worth mentioning are the creation of a unified national currency
Currency
In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply...
system and the erection of a postal system. When Friedrich Rosen
Friedrich Rosen
Friedrich Rosen or Fritz Rosen was a German Orientalist, diplomat and politician...
, an orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
and leader of an official German delegation established several treaties between Ethiopia and Germany on 7 March 1905, Ilg's influence at court began to dwindle. He could not (or did not want to) do anything against several intrigues at court; which lead to his resignation in 1907.
Alfred Ilg returned to Switzerland and settled in Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
where he died at the age of 61.
Ilg was a contemporary of the French poet-turned-trader Arthur Rimbaud
Arthur Rimbaud
Jean Nicolas Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet. Born in Charleville, Ardennes, he produced his best known works while still in his late teens—Victor Hugo described him at the time as "an infant Shakespeare"—and he gave up creative writing altogether before the age of 21. As part of the decadent...
, and was his friend and frequent correspondent in East Africa.
Films
- Alfred Ilg - Der weiße Abessinier a film by Christoph Kühn (Switzerland, 2003)