Globales Lernen in School Programme – Berlin Center for Global Education

Tracing marks of German in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek

Material and suggestions for teachers

Contents The workshop includes 1 Background information for teachers – a brainstorming session on the subject of 2 Pedagogical suggestions for teachers colonialism in order to identify the students’ level 3 Sources and additional information of knowledge – a PowerPoint presentation (ppt) with aspects of Intention of the material colonial history of and (availab- This material provides an introduction to German le via download www.epiz-berlin.de) and Namibian colonial history and presents educa- – the development of a city tour related to colonial tional methods which support the understanding of history by the students historical, sociological and political debates as e.g. – a role play presenting the city tour in a »tourist the renaming of streets or the handling of colonial office« monuments. Also it develops links between colonial – a city tour through Berlin’s city centre history and present trade relations between the two countries. Methods The workshop can be conducted in both cities, – Brain storming/mind map Berlin and Windhoek. – Presentation/input – Group work/role play – Guided city tour

Imprint Schulprogramm Author Additional didactic Entwicklungspolitisches Bildungs- Windhoek – Berlin | Windhoek – Jasmin Rietdorf material is provided at the und Informationszentrum EPIZ Berlin School Programme Design EPIZ E-Learning-Center Schillerstraße 59, D – 10627 Berlin Dr. Luise Steinwachs Nayeli Zimmermann www.epiz-berlin.de/moodle Tel +49 (0)30 69 59 84 94 [email protected] www.nayelizimmermann.com Fax +49 (0)30 69 26 419 Kornelia Freier Berlin, 2010 www.epiz-berlin.de [email protected] 1 Background information for teachers

A history shared or dividing? City tour in Berlin The era of colonialism ended for Germany in 1915, 1 after 30 years. The colonial era plays hardly any role The tour starts at MohrenstraSSe. It is a street in the public awareness of history in Germany. and an underground station in the city centre that In Namibia, a culture of commemoration has a long incorporates the racist term »Mohr«. The origin of tradition. The German colonial rule (as well as the the term is the Greek »moros« which means »stu- rule of South Africa) is a record for many Namibians. pid, gawky or godless«. In Latin »maurus« means »black« or »dark«. At any times, the term »Mohr« The city tour has had a derogative racist connotation. The street Berlin as well as Windhoek still bear traces of Ger- was probably named around 1700 after a group of man colonialism since both capital cities were ad- African slaves who were forcibly brought to Berlin ministrative and representative centers of German in the context of Brandenburg’s slave trade. colonial rule. A guided colonialism critical city tour In 1881, Hugo Hoffmann established at Mohrenstr is part of the workshop. It introduces places which No. 10 a chocolaterie where he produced the are related to the colonial past. »Sarotti«-Brand chocolate. The »Sarotti-Mohr« is arguably the most famous advertising character in There are eight streets in Berlin that are still named Germany. It was invented at the end of the First after colonial criminals, such as »Wissmannstraße« World War and lived on until 2004 (appearance in Berlin-Neukölln or »Lüderitzstraße« in the so slightly changed through the years). Due to criti- called African Quarter in Berlin-. »Moh- cism, that the »Mohr« reproduces racist ideologies, renstraße« incorporates a racist term until the very the character was changed to a »magician« which present. still resembles the former »Mohr«. For further details see www.ber-ev.de/download/BER/ 09-infopool/2007-07-12_dossier-strassennamen_web.pdf, also 2 available at the EPIZ media center. Plaque commemorating the »Congo Conference« 1884 / 85 in Berlin (Wilhelmstr. 92): In Windhoek, one can find a street named after The Congo Conference is also known as »Berlin General Lothar von Trotha. Most prominently the Africa Conference«. Chancelor Otto von Bismarck bronze Equestrian Statue – a mounted horseman and the president of France invited the European of the German »« – in the center of and overseas powers which held a presence in Africa Windhoek still commemorates Germany’s colonial at this time to take part including Great Britain, power and rule in Namibia. It was inaugurated in Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Russia, Austria, 1912 and is dedicated to the commemoration of Sweden-Norway, the Ottoman Empire, and the USA. the German soldiers and citizens who died during African people were purposely excluded as political the genocide committed on the Herero and Nama subjects: Not a single African participant was invited peoples. to discuss the fate of Africa. The Berlin Africa Conference laid down ground rules for the further partitioning of the continent and the- reby accelerated the so called »scramble for Africa«. The German claims on South-West Africa, the Ca- meroons, and East Africa were discussed during the Conference. For further reading see »Der Kolonialismus und seine Folgen: 125 Jahre nach der Berliner Afrika-Konferenz«, Inkota-Dossier 5, 2009; available at the EPIZ media center.

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 2 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de 3 6 Panoptikum (Westin Grand Hotel, Friedrichstraße): Starbucks and Edeka (city train station Friedrich- The site of Westin Grand Hotel was formerly known straße): Coffee and chocolate are the oldest so- as place where the public enjoyed »dances and called »Kolonialwaren«, »colonial products«. Star- cultural shows« (»Völkerschauen«) of peoples from bucks is the world’s leading coffee shop. Besides all over the world, especially from German colonies. conventional coffee, it offers fair trade products. The were fascinated by the »exotic« and In 1898, Edeka was founded as E.d.K which stands »savage« shows, African women and men had to for »Einkaufsgenossenschaft der Kolonialwaren- perform. In 1896 / 97, two million people visited händler im Halleschen Torbezirk zu Berlin«. the show called »Deutsche Kolonialausstellung« at (»Colonial traders’ purchasing co-operative in Halle- the »Treptower Park«. »Völkerschauen« took place scher Torbezirk at Berlin«). even in the Berlin Zoo, where wild animals were presented to the public. The renowned anthropo- 7 logist Rudolf Virchow heavily supported the idea of Garnisonsfriedhof Neukölln – Memorial Stone these »shows« as he was using African people as in Honour of the Victims of »objects« for his »research« on »human races«. German Colonial Rule in Na- mibia (2009): The Memorial 4 stone is commemorating The Humboldt-University (Unter den Linden 6) the victims of German co- was founded in 1810 as »Berliner Universität«. At lonial rule in Namibia from the end of the 19th century the quest for power 1884 – 1915, in particular the and the exploratory urge were immense. Scientist colonial war of 1904 – 1908 – were involved in establishing and controlling co- a war in which the German so-called »Schutztrup- lonies and legitimating the idea of »racism«. The pe« committed unspeakable crimes and genocide physician Eugen Fischer (1874 – 1967) is known against the Herero, the Nama and the Damara. for the development of a »race theory« and his Unfortunately, the inscription does not use the term »research« on objects (skulls and complete heads »genocide« but speaks only about »colonial war« which he demanded from the colonial government (see also www.berlin-postkolonial.de/aktuelle_the- in South-West Africa). From 1927 he taught at the men/Namibia-Gedenkstein.html). In 2009, the me- university; during the Nazi regime he was head of morial stone was put up next to the »Africa stone« the university. The racism of the Nazi regime was of 1907, which commemorates German soldiers based on Fischers’ views and publications which of the »Schutztruppe«, not mentioning any of the were continuously distributed till the 1960ies in African victims. Western Germany.

5 Splendid Hotel (Dorotheenstraße 37): In , only a few hotel buildings of the 19th century survived World War II. The building of Splendid Hotel was constructed by the architects Gronau & Graul in 1904. Its neo-baroque facade shows busts, titans as well as sculptures of an »African« woman and an »American Indian« with feathered headdress. They symbolise the racist idea of the exotic images of Africans and the »noble savage«.

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 3 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de City tour in Windhoek longer German subjects. They have murdered and 1 plundered, have cut off the ears, noses and other The tour starts at the Equestrian Statue, the parts of the bodies of injured soldiers, and now, »Reiterdenkmal«. The bronze out of cowardice, they want to give up the fight. I statue – a mounted horse- say to the people: anyone who delivers one of their man of the German »Schutz- chiefs as a prisoner to one of my bases, will receive truppe« – was inaugurated one thousand Mark, whoever brings Samuel Maha- in 1912. It is dedicated to rero [Herero chief], will receive five thousand Mark. the commemoration of the But the must leave this land. If they German soldiers and citizens refuse, so I will force them with the Groot Rohr who died during the colonial [cannon]. Any Herero found within the German war 1904 – 1908. It remained at its original and borders armed or unarmed, with or without cattle, prominent site in the heart of Windhoek, outliving will be shot. I will no longer give shelter to women several changes of government within the Namibi- or children, I will drive them back to their people or an historical context. It is still without any comment have them shot. This is my decision for the Herero about the ten thousands of African victims of the people. The great General of the mighty German German genocide. Emperor.« Original wording in German: Zimmerer, Jürgen (2004): Krieg, KZ 2 und Völkermord in Südwestafrika. In: Zimmerer, Jürgen/Zeller, Joachim (Hrsg.): Völkermord in Deutsch-Südwestafrika. Old Fort, »Alte Feste«, is the oldest building in Der Kolonialkrieg (1904 – 1908) in Namibia und seine Folgen, Windhoek, and it is set in a commanding position Ch. Links Verlag, 2004, Berlin. S. 51 overlooking the city. The Fort was completed in Today, historical research is almost unanimous in 1893 during the German colonisation. It was home describing this annihilation during the German to the German »Schutztruppe« until 1915. colonial war from 1904 until 1908 as an act of ge- In 1904, during the war against the Nama and He- nocide and as such as the first genocide committed rero, European women and children of Windhoek in the name of the German government. lived in the fort. German colonial officials set up a concentration camp (here the term »Konzentrati- onslager« was used for the first time) between the 4 fort and the Parliament Building, on the ground Bismarck Str: Otto von Bismarck (1815 – 1898) presently occupied by the school sports grounds, was a leading Prussian/Ger- to imprison Herero and Nama – men, women and man statesman of the late children. Photos show that a number of executions 19th century. In 1871, Bis- took place on the site, many of the imprisoned marck was raised to the rank people died of hunger and diseases. of Fürst (Prince) von Bismarck Today, the forts’ whitewashed walls house the and was also appointed National Museum of Namibia, which covers the Imperial Chancellor of the from its occupation by the San till . In 1884/85 independence. he and the president of France invited the Euro- pean and overseas powers to Berlin to take part at 3 the Congo Conference, also known as the »Berlin Trotha Str: Lothar von Trotha (1848 – 1920) was Africa Conference«. Great Britain, Belgium, Portu- appointed Commander in Chief of German-South gal, Italy, Spain, Russia, Austria, Sweden-Norway, West Africa on 3 May 1904 and directed to crush the Ottoman Empire, and the USA followed his the Herero rebellion. At the »Battle of Waterberg«, invitation. African people were purposely excluded he issued orders to encircle the Herero and aimed as political subjects: Not a single African participant at their total defeat. The Herero, however, chose was invited to discuss the fate of Africa. to escape and broke through into the waterless The »Berlin Africa Conference« laid down ground Omaheke desert. On 2 October 1904, the ener- rules for the further partitioning of the continent vated general von Trotha proclaimed his infamous and thereby accelerated the so called »scramble for extermination order against the Herero: Africa«. The German claims on South-West Africa, »I, the great General of the German soldiers, send the , Togoland and East Africa were this letter to the Herero nation. The Herero are no discussed during the »Berlin Africa Conference«.

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 4 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de 5 Wall painting »The New monument« (Theatre school Mugabe Ave): The wall painting shows the exploding Equestrian Statue and a white rabbit on its pedestal. In 2001, the artists of »Farbfieber«, Natasha Beukes (Namibia) and Klaus Klinger (Germany), created the painting called »The new Monument«. Its inscription is a poem by Sandile Madi (Namibia) titled »The Gun« (M6). According to the artists, the white rabbit is a symbol of a new, peaceful living in Namibia. »The new Monument« initiated controversies and critical debate especially among German-Namibians. They protested against the painting considering it as iconoclasm and disre- spect.

2 Pedagogical suggestions for teachers

One-day workshop Time Educational objective Content Activities and Material social forms 30' – classifying the term »colonialism« – brain storming M1 – raising questions – mind mapping 15' – acquiring basic knowledge about – facts and figures – input via ppt M2 colonialism and fair trade on German (German) – understanding the link between our colonialism past and today – basic information – raising awareness about issues of on fair trade global market structures, production and consumption 60' – tour: colonialism: past and present in – basic information – group work M3, M6 Berlin/Windhoek about outstanding – discussion – finding ways how to ciritically integrate colonial city spots – examination of colonialism into a city tour city maps – developing a role play 30' – role play at the »tourist office« – performance of M4 role play 2 – 3 – critical city tour: – information on – guided colonialism M5 hrs colonial history – past and present in city spots related to critical city tour: Berlin/Windhoek colonial history in colonial history – Berlin/Windhoek past and present in Berlin/Windhoek

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 5 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de M1 M3 Brainstorming on the term »colonialism« Examination of city maps Question Small groups (4 – 5 participants) examine city maps What means »colonialism« and what associa- of Berlin / Windhoek. In both cities one can find tions do you make? street names with colonial reference, for example »Afrikanisches Viertel« and »Mohrenstraße« in Method Berlin and »Trotha Str« and »Bismarck Str« in 1. Visualization (mind map) Windhoek. 2. Clustering Supplied with basic information about outstanding colonial city spots the participants design a city tour Possible keywords: Christoph Columbus; (Euro- related to colonial monuments and spots. pean) conquerors; German Empire / Germany; In a role play the students perform a situation of Otto von Bismarck; European colonising states as foreigners / tourists in a tourist office asking for a Great Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, (special) city tour. The students learn to argue why Netherlands, Denmark; exploitation of resources it is neccessary and interesting to concern oneself and people; forced labour; »colonial products« with colonial history. as coffee, cacao, tea, spices; »New World«; »race theory«; »civilization«; missionaries and missionary Material supplied work; war; uprisings; German colonies as »German – Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer South-West Africa«, »«, »- Ratschlag e.V. land«, »«, »German New «, »Bis- Dossier Straßennamen mit Bezügen zum marck Archipelago«, »Marshall Islands«, »German Kolonialismus in Berlin (2008). Samoa«, »Jiaozhou Bay« (»Deutsch-Kiautschou«); Download www.ber-ev.de/download/BER/ »Schutzgebiete« (euphemistic term for German 09-infopool/2007-07-12_dossier-strassennamen_ colonies which means literally translated »protected web.pdf territories«). – Heyden, Ulrich van der/Zeller Joachim (Hrsg.): Kolonialmetropole Berlin. Eine M2 Spurensuche. Colonial and Namibia Berlin Edition, 2002, Berlin. PowerPoint (ppt) presentation that introduces – »Reader Kolonialismus« (available at the EPIZ the topics of colonial history of Germany and media center) Namibia (in German, available via download at www.epiz-berlin.de). M4 The city tour Information on fair trade City tour in Berlin www.transfair.org (German) 1 »Mohrenstraße« www.fairtrade.net (English) 2 Plaque commemorating the »Congo Conference« 1884/85 in Berlin (Wilhelmstr. 92) Information on global trade 3 »Panoptikum« (Westin Grand Hotel, www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/trade (English) Friedrichstraße) 4 The »Humboldt-University« (Unter den Linden 6) 5 »Splendid Hotel« (Dorotheenstraße 37) 6 »Starbucks and Edeka« (Friedrichstraße station) 7 »Garnisonsfriedhof« – Memorial Stone

City tour in Windhoek 1 The Equestrian Statue, the »Reiterdenkmal« 2 Old Fort, »Alte Feste« 3 »Trotha Str« 4 »Bismarck Str« 5 Wall painting »The new Monument« (Theatre school Mugabe Ave)

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 6 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de M5 it’s been a while since Historical photos we grow unseparable Copies of historical photos showing people and your papers I still posses though places with colonial reference to use as material for it feels my eyes are full of sores the guided tour, available at the EPIZ media center now you change colours or to find in: now your shape and form – Heyden, Ulrich van der/Zeller Joachim seem like a billion times or (Hrsg.) Kolonialmetropole Berlin. Eine Spuren­ do my eyes betray me suche. Berlin Edition, 2002, Berlin. no sense from you is what I fail – Zeller, Joachim to dig as for having you Bilderschule der Herrenmenschen. Koloniale somewhat my reasons becoming dull Reklamesammelschilder. but before to you my last Ch. Links Verlag, 2008, Berlin. word of thanx I give – www.ber-ev.de/download/BER/03-positionen/ times change with the people f-kolonial/2006-12_kolonialhist_ the people with the times stadtspaziergang.pdf licensed or dumped with you in great circulation M6 many can do just fuck up A Poem by A. Madi use you instead to reason The Gun at random as is the case from a tinted part of history today every now and then along my way you came while my eyes have you served the lords and aimed at me half in focus half out at an order ruining my past once my obsession dearest you my dignity though not for long before my final gratitude not for vultures to your historical deeds criminal fantasies they go out conquering the world corruption and the likes causin so much disruptions know this very well so many losses of lives my eyes are alright and fine but for now from my sober mind i recall only your time is running out dream to have grasped you in time from the external wicked minded talk about the church talk about the army my peccant reality thought it was good time to jubilate and I trusted my reasons waved you high in the air sung a song long banned aloud in the tears of relief and in spite the pressing truth the freedom love song shall you ever fade away you that brought the fateful wars and crimes of today the very pal that saved me peace now monitors the aftermath entertaining pavement politics how smart you are shall you ever fade away

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 7 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de 3 Zimmerer, Jürgen/Zeller, Joachim (Hrsg.) Sources and Völkermord in Deutsch-Südwestafrika. additional information DerKolonialkrieg (1904 – 1908) in Namibia und seine Folgen. Background reading in German Ch. Links Verlag, 2004, Berlin, Deutsches Historisches Museum EPIZ-Signatur U47/ AF 82 Namibia Deutschland. Eine geteilte Geschichte. Widerstand – Gewalt – Erinnerung. Background reading in English DHM Museums­pädagogik, 2004, Berlin. Erichsen, Caspar EPIZ-Signatur KAT 32 »What the Elders used to say.« Namibian Perspectives on the Last Decade of German Förster, Larissa et al. (Hrsg.) Colonial Rule. Namibia – Deutschland. Eine geteilte Geschichte. John Meinert Printing, 2008, Windhoek. Widerstand – Gewalt – Erinnerung. Edition Minerva, 2004, Rautenstrauch-Joest- Johannesson, Barbara Museum für Völkerkunde der Stadt Köln. Discovering the Past. 2007, EPIZ-Signatur AF 138 (englischsprachiges Heyden, Ulrich van der/Zeller Joachim (Hrsg.) Geschichtsbuch für Klasse 8 in Namibia) Kolonialmetropole Berlin. Eine Spurensuche. Berlin Edition, 2002, Berlin. EPIZ-Signatur RA 52 National Archives of Namibia The Hendrik Witbooi Papers. Hornscheidt, Antje / Arndt, Susan John Meinert Printing, 1996, Windhoek. Afrika und die deutsche Sprache. Ein kritisches Nach- schlagewerk. Münster, 2009, EPIZ-Signatur AF 123 Olden, Lucy Understanding History in Context. Melber, Henning (Hrsg.) 2009, EPIZ-Signatur AF 135 (englischsprachiges Namibia – Grenzen nachkolonialer Emanzipation. Geschichtsbuch für Klasse 8 über namibische und Brandes & Apsel Verlag, 2003, Frankfurt/Main, afrikanische Geschichte) EPIZ-Signatur AF 83 Vogt, Andreas Melber, Hennig (Hrsg.) National Monuments in Namibia. An inventory Genozid und Gedenken. Namibisch-deutsche of proclaimed national monuments in the Geschichte und Gegenwart. Republic of Namibia. Brandes & Apsel Verlag, 2005, Frankfurt/Main. Gamsberg Macmillan Publishers, 2004, Windhoek.

Timm, Uwe Online (in German) Morenga, Roman. – www.dhm.de/ausstellungen/namibia/ München, 2000, EPIZ-Signatur AF 70 stadtspaziergang/startseite.htm – www.berlin-postkolonial.de Viett, Inge – www.ber-ev.de/download/BER/03-positionen/ Morengas Erben. f-kolonial/2006-12_kolonialhist_ , 2004, EPIZ-Signatur AF 122 stadtspaziergang.pdf – www.ber-ev.de/download/BER/09-infopool/ Zeller, Joachim 2007-07-12_dossier-strassennamen_web.pdf Bilderschule der Herrenmenschen. – www.freiburg-postkolonial.de/index.htm Koloniale Reklamesammelschilder. – www.transfair.org Ch. Links Verlag, 2008, Berlin, EPIZ-Signatur AF 86 Online (in English) – www.fairtrade.net – www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/trade

Partners’ Perspectives Tracing marks of German colonialism EPIZ School Programme Windhoek – Berlin in the cities of Berlin and Windhoek Globales Lernen in Berlin 8 Center for Global Education www.epiz-berlin.de