Chapter 526: Lighthouse of Civilization
"Ernst!"
Just as Ernst returned home and was heading to his office, his father—just back from Bagamoyo—called out to him.
"What is it, Father?"
"Yesterday I visited Bagamoyo, and I was really pleased by how the cities in East Africa are developing. But I read in the newspaper that Chicago is planning to build a multi-story tower, tens of meters tall, to be completed in a few years. I want to know—can we build something like that in East Africa? Our cities look too much like Europe's. They lack character."
Ernst immediately understood what his father was getting at. He guessed correctly that Konstantin was referring to the Home Insurance Building in Chicago—the world's first skyscraper.
"Father, I think East Africa's buildings are just fine. There's no need to blindly pursue height. Besides, our architecture is already quite beautiful and artistic."
"What do you know? I just feel like East Africa lacks eye-catching landmarks. Now that Chicago is building a high-rise to draw attention, it reminded me—look at the Statue of Liberty! New York is full of clunky buildings, a bunch of nouveau riche nonsense."
Hearing his father's slightly sour tone, Ernst couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you laughing at? I'm asking you something!"
"Alright, I understand what you mean. You want a landmark building. So tell me—do you have any ideas in mind? If it's doable, I'll make it happen."
For Ernst, making his father happy was enough. Spending a little money was no problem. Was Ernst short on cash? Of course. But for someone like him, he was only short of big money. Building a landmark wasn't that expensive in the grand scheme of things.
Granted, some monuments could cost a fortune and even hinder national development. But neither Ernst nor Konstantin were the kind to indulge in extravagance without reason. They knew their limits.
Sure enough, Konstantin brightened and began offering serious suggestions. "We definitely shouldn't imitate those American upstarts."
After some thought, he said, "First, it has to be highly artistic and visually impressive—can't be worse than what other countries build. Second, it needs to incorporate historical and cultural elements. That's how we distinguish ourselves from America. Third, it should be somewhat practical and not too expensive."
Those requirements sounded modest but were actually quite high—especially the second one. East Africa lacked historical and cultural depth compared to most nations.
Ernst considered it. The most iconic East African image was probably the lions on the savannah—a common first impression of Africa.
Even East Africa's flag design had considered that. After years of development, East Africa was still mostly a cultural imitator, with little innovation of its own. Its unique identity lay in its natural heritage. While Black Africans had their own cultures, they were not widely respected or influential.
So Ernst said, "What East Africa lacks most is historical and cultural legacy. Why not take a global perspective—use world civilization as the theme and blend in a few unique East African symbols?"
Konstantin nodded. "Good point. What about including some national history?"
From Konstantin's perspective, East Africa might be young, but it had more than a decade of development under its belt. It was a huge country—surely it would leave its mark on human history.
But Ernst wasn't so sure. East Africa's history was, after all, that of a feudal slave state—its greatest shame. That's why Ernst never even established a national day. It would've been like Thanksgiving: ironic, even insulting.
In the future, once all the Black slaves were gone and slavery abolished, Ernst planned to draw a clear line between the current Kingdom and a future East African Empire. The Kingdom would always be associated with slavery; the Empire would be a fresh start.
So Ernst shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend it. Our current political system doesn't align with international norms. Emphasizing our history could draw criticism."
Feudalism, slavery, a closed economy—none of that sounded good. It was better to take a broader cultural approach.
Ernst's words made Konstantin pause. "You're right. That would be risky."
Even he had to admit, East Africa didn't have many redeeming features—its strength and the royal family's prestige had been built atop many "blemishes."
Seeing his father's spirits drop a little, Ernst offered reassurance. "Focusing on world civilization might actually work in our favor. If the landmark is built here, no matter what the theme is, it becomes part of East Africa. No one can take it away."
"You're right again! I nearly fell into a mental trap," Konstantin chuckled.
Culture might be global, but it's still tied to place. The Great Wall stood in the East—it belonged to the Far Eastern Empire first, then the world.
Likewise, anything built in East Africa would always be part of East Africa. And by invoking world civilization, the nation could symbolically tie itself to that legacy.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Ernst's head.
"Father, what if we built a lighthouse?"
"A lighthouse?"
"Yes."
"I don't know… lighthouses aren't exactly original."
True, lighthouses were common—especially after the Age of Exploration.
East Africa had already built several. With the expansion of its ports, some were among the largest in the world.
After all, Dar es Salaam and Mombasa were global ports. Though not on the scale of New York or London, with tens of thousands of residents, they were sizable by 19th-century standards. Dar es Salaam alone, counting both old and new districts, had over 200,000 people and was on track to exceed 300,000 in the coming years.
"A lighthouse is a familiar landmark—especially for port cities. Don't forget, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Done right, this could be something incredible."
"So where would you build it—Mombasa or Dar es Salaam?" Konstantin asked.
Lighthouses belonged on the coast. Landmarks were meant to be seen. Naturally, he thought of East Africa's two major international ports—Dar es Salaam and Mombasa.
"Dar es Salaam," Ernst said. "The climate's better. Mombasa's not quite suitable."
In a previous life, Mombasa may have outpaced Dar es Salaam. But not anymore—especially after the Central Railway's early completion. Dar es Salaam had pulled far ahead, with support from other Central Province cities.
"This won't be just any lighthouse," Ernst declared. "We'll call it the Lighthouse of Civilization."
"Lighthouse of Civilization?" Konstantin echoed, intrigued.
Ernst had been struck with inspiration. In his previous life, the West loved to portray the U.S. as the "beacon of civilization."
So what if East Africa had the real one?
A literal Lighthouse of Civilization—not a metaphor, but a real structure. If the phrase ever came up again, people wouldn't be able to ignore East Africa's claim.
A bold bit of cultural trolling? Maybe. But Ernst liked the idea.
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