[3] In 1876, Germany signed a treaty of friendship with Tonga,[4][5] and leased space for a coaling station at Neiafu in Vavaʻu.

[6] The political background of the Treaty of Friendship of 1876 was the heyday of imperialism and colonialism in the Pacific Islands.

[7] During this phase, various great powers (including the German Empire) fought over the division of the region.

[10] In the Samoa Treaty of 1899, Germany recognised the Tonga Islands as part of Britain's sphere of interests.

[16] In 2016, the President of the Bundestag Norbert Lammert visited the island to mark 140 years of relations between the two countries.