Zanzibar: For a brief period, the small island in the Indian Ocean was under German influence, but it was never a colony. Nevertheless, we still get gleaming eyes when the name Zanzibar is mentioned. The name has a magical quality. But what was it really like when the first Germans arrived here more than a century ago? Thirty authors share their insights about Zanzibar: explorers, merchants, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, diplomats, and artists. This creates an impressive picture of the city and island during their heyday. Erich Meffert has lived here for many years and is a recognized expert on the land and its people. With wisdom and perhaps more than just a wink, he has compiled these long-lost documents from the German era, which provide a unique perspective on both the present and the past.