ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with the transplantation of karakul sheep to South West Africa and how the Leipzig industry was involved in this activity. It opens on how businesses of the Leipzig fur industry created and found alternatives to the world market. The chapter focuses on sourcing new resources will shed light on local processes of collaboration and the actions of individual district firms in dealing with external developments. Karakuls were a popular type of fur for the fur industry by the end of the nineteenth century. The chapter investigates how district firms pursued such imperial ambitions. It discusses a chronological account of the creation of the karakul farming business in South West Africa. Native to the steppes of Central Asia, karakul and astrakhan sheep formed a niche in the international fur industry. The war had a disruptive impact on karakul farming in South West Africa. The chapter establishes the importance of individual lead firms in the creation of karakul farming.
