German Technology, Caribbean Rum: Georg Stade and the Industrialization of Rum Production in Barbados, 1892–1898

In 1892, the German-born and British-naturalized engineer Georg Stade set up a modern rum factory in Barbados. Machinery, capital and technical staff came from Germany. The enterprise quickly established itself as the largest distillery on the island, pushing smaller competitors out of the market. The article integrates this case history into broader research on transnational entanglements. In examining the involvement of Germany, Britain and—for the first time—Barbados, it challenges the idea of the inherently ‘British’ nature of the British Empire. The article, which has a broad empirical foundation, argues that detailed case histories of mobile engineers and technology transfers are currently lacking in pertinent research, yet they can do much to explain the mechanics of nineteenth-century globalization. This type of engagement was particularly relevant for Imperial Germany, with its emerging technology and export sectors.