 The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era.The explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to significantly explore the country in 1894; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king.The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy and delegating power to local chiefs.