Karl Neufeld facts for kids
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Karl Neufeld (born August 4, 1856 – died July 2, 1918) was a German merchant and adventurer. He is famous for being held prisoner for twelve years in Sudan by a group called the Mahdists. He was finally freed when British forces won a big battle. After his release, he wrote a book about his amazing experiences called A Prisoner of the Khaleefa. Twelve Years Captivity at Omdurman. Later, during World War I, Neufeld worked as a translator and a secret agent for Germany. He tried to encourage Arab people to go against the British Empire.
Contents
Karl Neufeld's Life Story
Early Life and Work
Karl Neufeld was born in a part of Germany called West Prussia. His father was a landowner and a doctor. Karl studied medicine at the University of Leipzig, but he did not finish his degree. Around 1880, he moved to Cairo, the capital city of Egypt. At that time, Egypt was a state that paid tribute to the Ottoman Empire.
Karl first worked as a pharmacist, then became a merchant. He married a British nurse named Emma Netherton, and they had a daughter.
Captured in Sudan
Because Karl knew both English and Arabic, he worked as a translator. He helped during a mission to rescue a British general named Gordon. After that, he continued his business in a city called Aswan.
In 1887, Karl was traveling with a group of traders in western Sudan. He was captured by followers of the Mahdist uprising. These were people who believed in a religious leader called the Mahdi.
Twelve Years as a Prisoner
Karl Neufeld spent the next 12 years as a prisoner. Most of this time, he was kept in chains in a city called Omdurman. While he was there, he met other prisoners. These included Rudolf Slatin, who used to be a governor, and Josef Ohrwalder, a missionary.
During his time as a prisoner, Karl Neufeld became a Muslim. He married an Ethiopian woman named Umm Shul, and they had two children together.
Freedom and New Adventures
In 1898, Karl Neufeld was finally set free. This happened after Anglo-Egyptian troops won the Battle of Omdurman. After his release, he went back to Germany.
In Germany, he gave talks about his time as a prisoner. In 1899, he published his book, A Prisoner of the Khaleefa. Twelve Years Captivity at Omdurman.
Later, Karl Neufeld returned to Egypt and opened a health resort in Aswan. However, when World War I started, the British government made him leave.
Secret Agent for Germany
During the war, Karl Neufeld started working for the German government. He was a translator and a secret agent in the Middle East. He traveled to Syria and the Arabian Peninsula. He was part of a German military mission that wanted to set up a telegraph station in Yemen. From there, the Germans hoped to encourage people in Sudan and Ethiopia to rebel against the British.
A year before this mission, Neufeld had traveled to Medina. He convinced the local leaders that he had become a Muslim many years ago. In Sudan, he was known as Shaykh ‘Abd Allāh Nawfal al-Almānī. Because of his knowledge of Arabic and his story, Neufeld met important scholars and leaders in Medina. He talked with them about the war happening in Europe.
In 1916, the Arab Revolt began. This was a fight by Arab forces against the Ottoman Empire. Because of this revolt, the German mission had to be stopped. Karl Neufeld was called back to Germany. He then worked for the German government in Brussels until he died in 1918.
See also
