The article is devoted to the analysis of the activities of Bernhard Dernburg as the head of the colonial department of Germany. In the article, the author examined the role of Dernburg as the initiator of colonial reforms, primarily for the largest colonies of Germany in Africa. In addition, the author paid attention to two informational trips of Dernburg to African colonies, as well as his visit to English possessions in South Africa. The author also examined the main aspects of the colonial reforms proposed by Dernburg - this is the reform of the country's colonial department, the attraction of large entrepreneurs to investments in the colonies, as well as the use of the colonial experience of Great Britain to carry out German colonial policy.

The article also examines the results and limitations of the reforms of 1906-1910, and defines the place of the "Dernburg era" in the history of German colonial policy. In conclusion, it is concluded that this period was an attempt at a systematic modernization of the management of the German colonies in Africa, but the implementation of the planned transformations was partially limited by internal political, financial and international factors. The article also examines the impact of the Dernburg reforms on the formation of a long-term strategy for the German colonial presence in Africa, as well as their significance in the context of international colonial competition at the beginning of the 20th century. It is emphasized that the "Dernburg era" became an important stage in the institutionalization of Germany's colonial administration and reflected the desire to integrate overseas territories into the imperial economic system. At the same time, it is noted that the contradictions between economic interests, political ambitions and the real possibilities of the metropolis have predetermined the limited nature of the results achieved.