22 September 2025
I greet you with deep respect and humility.
My name is Remo Kurka. Though I am German by birth, I have lived in Ghana and Wales for nearly two decades, and my heart belongs to this land. Through marriage, travel, and cultural immersion, I have come to appreciate the depth and dignity of Ghana’s ancestral heritage — especially the legacy of Denkyira.
Over the past year, I have been working on a cultural tribute titled The Silence Beneath the Tree. It is a historical fiction narrative inspired by oral traditions, archival research, and my personal reflections on the story of Jacob Wilson Sey. The work explores the possibility that Sey’s wealth may have originated from Denkyira chiefs who fled south after the fall of the empire in 1701, burying royal regalia beneath a sacred tree near Biriwa.
This story is not presented as fact, but as a respectful offering — a bridge between memory and rediscovery. It is my hope that it may spark dialogue, reflection, and unity between Denkyira and Fante communities, and honor the wisdom of those who came before us.
I have quietly published the story online, without public announcement, out of respect for your Council. You may access it here:
https://capecoastcastle.com/the-silence-beneath-the-tree
I would be honored if you would review it. I am also open to meeting in person, presenting the story formally, or collaborating on any cultural initiatives that may arise from it.
Please accept this letter as a gesture of reverence and goodwill. I welcome your thoughts, guidance, and blessings.
With deepest respect,
Remo Kurka
Cultural Researcher & Storyteller Wales / Ghana / Germany
Email: [.......] Phone: [0549942584]
Personal Website: ghana0.com
02 October 2025
Dear Remo Kurka,The story has been read. I am sorry for the late response as I have been busy with media engagements and diaspora relations exercises in line with the installation and coronation of the 26th Denkyirahene.
Your story is a blend of fiction with truth. Denkyira has similar tales of our treasures being buried during migration. However, your story needs refining about the history of the Feyiase battle from Denkyira lenses. Nana Ntim Gyakari was captured at his palace at Abankesieso and not at Feyiase. He never went to war at Feyiase. It was his Adonten army that went to the war and he was leisuring at the palace.
I will share the story with other members of the Traditional Council for review and call you. I am very much interested in your works.
Thank you very much.
Best regards,
Nana Boadu Ntiamoah
(Executive Director - Denkyira Heritage Foundation)
03 October 2025
Many thanks, dear Nana Boadu Ntiamoah!
I am very happy, about your response and comment!
And yes, I very well understand, you are in a line of duty during this important time!
Certainly, I will correct this part of history. I based my writings on research of your amazing history, and it is always good to have findings double checked. Even, or especially with a story like my.
Thank you so much!
The pages are still hidden, to be found by coincidence only.
Reason for publishing at all is, a kind of time stamping.
Please, visit the pages again, by Sunday evening.
Kind regards,
Remo Kurka
03 October 2025
16 November 2025
Chapter One: Beneath the Tree of Silence
Preview Text:Jacob Wilson Sey taps a palm tree and uncovers a treasure buried for centuries. But whose gold was it — and why was it hidden beneath sacred roots?
Chapter Two: The Flight of the Golden Chiefs
Preview Text:After the fall of Denkyira, a band of chiefs flee south, carrying royal gold and fading hope. Their final act: burying the soul of an empire.
Chapter Three: The Silent Inheritance
Preview Text:Jacob Wilson Sey’s rise begins with buried gold — but the silence around its origin speaks louder than any fortune. What legacy did he unknowingly inherit?
Chapter Four: The Last Keeper
Preview Text:In Twifo Praso, a boy named Kwaku Agyeman listens to stories of vanished chiefs and sacred trees. His bloodline holds a secret that history forgot.
Chapter Five: The Tree That Watches
Preview Text:Archaeologist Ama Nyarko uncovers Denkyira regalia beneath a twisted tree. The past begins to stir, and the silence of centuries begins to speak.
Chapter Six: The Return of the Golden Silence
Preview Text:A ceremonial gathering beneath the tree brings Denkyira and Fante together. The chiefs are remembered, and the buried legacy begins to rise.
Chapter Seven: The King Who Does Not Yet Know
Preview Text:As Denkyira crowns its 26th king, a letter arrives with news of a buried truth. The throne is inherited — but the story beneath it remains untold.
Chapter Eight: The Letter and the Tree
Preview Text:Ama’s letter reaches the palace. A delegation travels to Biriwa, where a tree holds the memory of chiefs who buried gold and vanished into silence.
Chapter Nine: The Festival of Two Rivers
Preview Text:Denkyira and Fante communities unite in a new tradition. Beneath the tree, a stool is placed, and the story of exile becomes a song of return.
Chapter Ten: The Dream of the Vanished Chiefs
Preview Text:A boy begins to dream of golden chiefs and sacred trees. A second cache is found, and the legacy of Denkyira awakens in the next generation.
I am not Ghanaian by birth — I am German. But Ghana has become my second homeland, not just through marriage, but through memory, curiosity, and reverence.
Over the years, I’ve walked through Ghana’s historical veins — from the haunting corridors of Cape Coast Castle, Elmina, and Fort Amsterdam, to the quiet ruins of Fort Augustinebørg in Teshie, the coastal echoes of Prampram and Ningo, and the colonial remnants of Fort Ussher, Fort James, and the grounds outside Osu Castle. I’ve stood in Kumasi, visited Fort Kumasi, wandered through the Arts Centres of Accra and Kumasi, and explored the Volta Regional Museum and the Upper East Regional Museum.
And yet, after shooting over 20,000 photographs across this country, I feel I’ve only scratched the surface. Ghana’s history isn’t just in stone — it’s in silence, in soil, in stories whispered beneath trees.
This story — The Silence Beneath the Tree — began with a question that wouldn’t leave me: Where did Jacob Wilson Sey’s gold truly come from? The more I listened, read, and reflected, the more I felt a truth rising from the ground. That Sey’s fortune was not random. That it was the buried legacy of Denkyira chiefs who fled after the fall of their empire, carrying gold not for trade, but for remembrance.
This is not just fiction. It is a cultural offering. A tribute to the chiefs who vanished, the tree that watched in silence, and the man who unknowingly inherited a kingdom’s soul.
I share this story to honor Ghana’s ancestral wisdom. To bridge Denkyira and Fante. To invite dialogue, remembrance, and unity.
If you are a descendant, a historian, a cultural custodian — this story is yours too.
Let us remember together.
We invite you to explore our main website for even more information and resources. Please take a moment to visit CapeCoastCastleMuseum.com, where you can find a wealth of details about our offerings and the history we proudly share.