Albert Schaaffhausen: A German architect in Samoa, 1901-1914

Abstract

Albert Schaaffhausen was one of the few prolific architects in (Western) Samoa over the course of the twentieth century but has been largely overlooked, even by local historiography. Schaaffhausen, born in Germany in 1876, came to Samoa in 1900. He worked for the German Colonial Administration from 1901 onwards and became their de facto architect. He went on home leave to Germany in June 1914, where he was called up for war service. After his return to Samoa in 1923, Schaaffhausen worked for the New Zealand Administration of Samoa from 1931 until his retirement in 1946. He died in 1960, just before Western Samoa gained independence. During his life, Albert Schaaffhausen saw a multi-faceted political development in Samoa, and he actively contributed to the modernization and to the cultural heritage of the islands Savai’i and Upolu.