Where could a memorial site for colonialism emerge? - Berlin to Build Central Memorial for Germany's Colonial Past in Namibia
Berlin is set to establish a central memorial to acknowledge Germany's colonial past in Namibia. The memorial, approved by the House of Representatives in 2019, aims to remember the brutal suppression of uprisings and the Herero and Nama War, considered the first genocide of the 20th century.
The memorial's location is still undecided but is expected to be in Berlin's city center. Potential sites include the former German Colonial Museum at Moltkebrücke, the Royal Museum of Ethnology's former site in Kreuzberg, or the carp pond area in Treptower Park, where a human zoo was once exhibited during the 1896 German Colonial Exhibition. The exact design and funding details are yet to be finalized, but they are part of a broader concept that includes decentralized memorial landscapes and permanent structures developed by civil society initiatives led by literary scholar Ibou Coulibaly Diop.
The memorial is intended to be a central learning and remembrance site, serving as a reminder of the estimated 75,000 Herero and Nama people killed during the colonial era. A coalition is pushing for this central memorial, alongside demands for a decentralized memorial landscape and permanent structures.
Culture Senator Sarah Wedl-Wilson's visit to Namibia's capital Windhoek for the 25th anniversary of the twinning of both municipalities underscores the importance of this memorial. The exact location, design, and funding details are yet to be determined, but the memorial's establishment is a significant step in acknowledging and learning from Germany's colonial past.
