Although the British monopolized trade along the coastal region of Cameroon, after 1860 the Germans led by the Woermann, Jantzen and Thormaelen firms became more and more involved in the trade with the Doualas. This trading companies made pressure on Bismarck to annex Cameroon as protectorate in order to expand their trade and further exploit the country. The Germans occupied successively all parts of Cameroon after Gustav Nachtigall signed treaties with the Chiefs of Douala and Akwa in July 1884. He advanced few days the British in the end of 19th century “scramble for territories” between the European Nations. The military occupation of the territory and fight against many resistant people in Cameroon took several years.

In 1891 captain Karl von Gravenreuth was charged to bring the Bakweri under German control. However the resistance of the Bakweri under Chief Kuva Likenye the German Troops were beaten in Likoko Membea, captain Gravenreuth killed and had the German troops had leave the town. Only in 1994 the german commanders von Stetten and Dominik broke the resistance against German power in a surprise attack .

One of the main objectives of the Germans was the economic exploitation of the Mt Cameroon area, in particular the creation of agro¬-industrial plantations, at the time mainly for cocoa . For this they grabbed the land (90,000 ha see above CDC) from the Bakweri (Lemoigne, N. 2010). The local population was limited to small land reserves and this also only after protests of the Basler mission. As in other colonial systems the changes in land tenure led to social disorganisation. The fact were aggravated by bringing a lot of people from elsewhere as plantation workers, either “voluntary” (recruited under agreement with the chiefdom of Bali, many people sent their slaves instead of working themselves) or condemned forced labour. (Michel, 1969). Bakweri people were not enough and showed not much enthusiasm to work as plantation workers on their expropriated land under difficult conditions. Many foreign workers after end of the contract decided to settle in the area aggravating the land problem. Working and living conditions on the plantations were notoriously harsh, often regarded by Africans as a new form of slavery ; labourers were known to have a high rate of mortality (Ralp A. Austen in Eckert A. 1998, Lemoigne N. 2010).

Things changed after the Basler mission now together with the German trade companies who were in competition with the plantations for workers (used as porters) accused the plantations publicly in Germany of disastrous working conditions. This protest lead to the establishment of a labour legislation in many aspects ahead of other West African Colonies (Michel, 1969). Buea has been capital under German colonial rule between the years 1901-1915. The Germans had been from 1884 to 1901 in Douala but moved to Buea because of the more healthy environment, many died in Douala from fever.

In 1901/1902 the Governors palace for the first Governor Jesko von Puttkamer was built in Buea, inspired by a Kaiser Wilhelm Hunting Pavillon. The “Von Puttkamer Schloss” is known also as “Prime Minister Lodge” in Buea as it served between 1954- 1961 as residence of the Prime Minister of Southern Cameroon and then from 1961-1972 as residence of the Prime Minister of Western Cameroon. Today it is belonging to the Presidency of Cameroon. The Schloss is surrounded by a park. The interior is not accessible for visitors.

Close to the Schloss there are some other administrative buildings from German time: The old secretariat (1902/1903) today used by the police, the Bismarck Fountain (1899) – The German Chanceler Bismarck (1805-1898) started in 1984 with German Colonial politics-, the old post office (1898), the construction office for the Schloss (1901), later used and known as “old Buea native school” and today used by the army. Close by you find also some historical houses and a mission church of the Basler Mission (1896) (now Presbyterian Church) and not too far close to the round point the old german cemetery (1898). There are quite some other houses built between 1903 and 1914, mostly residences of plantation managers which are built on pillars out of timber with corrugated iron sheets at the exterior. West farm, Upper farm and lower farm were used to grow vegetables and as dairies, the buildings of Upper farms still exist (E.W Ardener “Anmerkungen zur Geschichter der geschuetzten Denkmäler Westkamerun 1965)