German Urbanonyms in German South West Africa Maria Aleff*
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Journal of Namibian Studies, 22 (2017): 7 – 24 ISSN: 2197-5523 (online) German urbanonyms in German South West Africa Maria Aleff* Abstract The article presents a section of a large-scale research project that involves the systematic collection and extensive analysis of colonial-era and colonial-era-related urbanonyms across a number of areas. To date there has been no source-related survey of the naming landscape in the former German colonies and protectorates from a colonial and spatial linguistics and onomastic perspective or any linguistic analysis of the allocation of names within linguistic fixing practices. This essay uses the example of the former colony of German South West Africa to demonstrate such an analysis of German-language street and square names from 1884 to 1919, focusing on systematic collection and analysis (naming theme, functions, positions in space). The aim of this was to comprehensively analyse an aspect of linguistic action among the German colonial actors during the de facto colonial era. Introduction Interest in linguistic research into naming practices and the naming material used by European colonial actors as a subject of research in the context of onomastics and colonial linguistics has been increasing for some time.1 To date, it is primarily macrotoponyms, particularly place names that have been considered. More recent studies have also highlighted the relevance of the analysis of microtoponyms.2 These * Maria Aleff studied German philology and philosophy at the University in Greifswald. Currently she is a PhD student at the University in Würzburg (Germany). Being a member of the project “Colonial-era and colonial- era-related urbanonyms”, her research focuses on the survey and analysis of colonial-era urbanonyms in all regions of the former German colonies and protectorates for the period from 1884 to 1919. E-mail: [email protected] 1 See for example Paolo Miccoli, “Italokoloniale Toponomastik zwischen Liberalismus und Faschismus”, in: Thomas Stolz et al., (eds.), Koloniale und Postkoloniale Linguistik/Colonial and Postcolonial Linguistics , Berlin, de Gruyter, 2017: 187-204; Peter Mühlhäusler, “Die deutsche Sprache im Pazifik”, in: Hermann Joseph Hiery, (ed.), Die deutsche Südsee 1884-1914. Ein Handbuch , Paderborn, Schöningh, 2001: 239- 262; Thomas Stolz and Ingo H. Warnke, “Aspekte der kolonialen und postkolonialen Toponymie unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des deutschen Kolonialismus”, in: Daniel Schmidt-Brücken, Susanne Schuster, Thomas Stolz et al., (eds.), Koloniallinguistik – Sprache in kolonialen Kontexten , Berlin, de Gruyter, 2015: 107-176; Brigitte Weber, “Exploration of Deutsch-Kamerun: A toponymic approach”, in: Stefan Engelberg and Doris Stolberg, (eds.), Sprachwissenschaft und kolonialzeitlicher Sprachkontakt. Sprachliche Begegnungen und Auseinandersetzungen , Berlin, Akademie-Verlag, 2012: 101-122. 2 See Matthias Schulz and Verena Ebert, “Wissmannstraße, Massaiweg, Berliner Straße. Kolonial intendierte Urbanonyme – Befunde, Perspektiven, Forschungsprogramm” , Beiträge zur Namenforschung , 51 (1), Copyright © 2017 Otjivanda Presse.Essen ISSN 1863-5954 (print) ISSN 2197-5523 (online) studies have systematically addressed relevant research questions and discussed methodical means of access with regard to urbanonyms, in other words those microtoponyms which “name and distinguish areas and objects in the metropolitan area of the city” (e.g. names of streets, squares and buildings). 3 Against this background, the aim is to carry out a linguistic analysis of the naming inventory of two colonial cities in the former colony of German South West Africa for the period from 1884-1919 as a case study.4 Research methods and objectives will first be outlined. The linguistic results will then be explained using the individual case studies of Swakopmund and Windhoek 5, and a comparison between these cities will be carried out. 6 Research questions and objectives Names can be structurally analysed. Onomastics has an established range of analysis tools which systematically classify and analyse the morphological structures and the classes of components of names. Morphological and onomastic analyses based on naming inventories which should be collected in as complete a manner as possible aim to identify structures and patterns. This also applies to the systematizing analysis of the naming themes. For some time now, onomastics has also been dealing with questions of linguistic spatial constitution. 7 As a result it became clear that the registration of names can be a “declarative charging of space”, and specific allocations of meaning can be linguistically fixed. 8 Spatial linguistic and discourse linguistic analyses contribute to the description of the functions and value of microtoponyms of this kind in the linguistic occupation of 2016: 357-386; eadem, “Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ufer, Wissmannstraße, Stuhlmann-Straße – Straßennamen im Kontext kolonialer Raumaneignung” , in: Axel Dunker, Thomas Stolz and Ingo Warnke, (eds.), Benennungspraktiken in Prozessen kolonialer Raumaneignung , Berlin, de Gruyter, 2017: 161-186; Verena Ebert,“‘Des geraubten Kolonialbesitzes wurde durch eine Daressalamstraße, Südseestraße, Tsingtauerstraße und Kamerunplatz gedacht’ – Kolonialtoponomastik im Raum der Kolonisatoren”, in: Thomas Stolz, (ed.), in prep. 3 Rita Heuser, Namen der Mainzer Straßen und Örtlichkeiten. Sammlung, Deutung, sprach- und motivgeschichtliche Deutung , Stuttgart, Steiner, 2008: 13, “Teile und Objekte im Ballungsraum der Stadt bezeichnen und unterscheiden”; see Schulz and Ebert, “Wissmannstraße”: 371. 4 The map material from the Colonial Lexicon by Heinrich Schnee, which was only published in 1920 was used for this too, cf. Heinrich Schnee, (ed.), Deutsches Kolonial-Lexikon , Leipzig, Quelle & Meyer ,1920, <http://www.ub.bildarchiv-dkg.uni-frankfurt.de/Bildprojekt/Lexikon/lexikon.htm> [accessed July 7, 2017]. 5 The spelling Windhoek which is currently used was standard in the de facto colonial era, along with the spelling that was more integrated into German of Windhuk (see Brockhaus Verlag, (ed.), Brockhaus’ Konversations-Lexikon , Vol. XVI, Leipzig et al., Brockhaus, 1895: 764). 6 A further analysis will also look at whether the patterns and structures identified are not only inter-urban but also the same across all former German colonies and protectorates. 7 Cf. Hugo Steger, “Institutionelle innerörtliche Orientierungssysteme – Fallstudien”, in: Ernst Eichler, (ed.), Namenforschung. Ein internationales Handbuch zur Onomastik , Berlin, de Gruyter, 1996: 1499-1521. 8 Ingo H. Warnke and Beatrix Busse, (eds.), Place-Making in urbanen Diskursen, Berlin, de Gruyter, 2014: 529, “deklarative Aufladung von Raum”. 8 space and linguistic placemaking processes. Spatial linguistic issues that play a role here include visual forms of representation, the position of street names within the urban space and questions regarding the formation of cluster structures. Against the background of a colonial linguistic perspective 9 that considers the description of the relationship between language and colonialism, 10 it is the informative and symbolic function of language in colonial power constellations which can be seen through naming inventories that is of interest. This includes the description of linguistic fixing practices and linguistic spatial construction. In order to answer the above- mentioned questions and meet the above-mentioned objectives, source material which is specifically relevant to this research is essential. Systematisation and categorisation In order to make possible a substantiated and extensive analysis based on uniform criteria that can be objectivised, prior justified systematisation and categorisation of all of the data that have been collected are necessary. Before a linguistic analysis can be carried out, extensive recording must first take place. Empirical data collection is carried out using a large number of sources for individual places with the subsequent creation of an inventory. First of all, the fundamental question arises as to where German- language naming material can generally be found, followed by the question of the locations for which data collection appears to make sense and of the types of locations for which the collection should be carried out. Initially, all the locations in which demonstrably German colonial administrative structures, both, civil and military such as a governor’s residence or a school were built 9 Colonial linguistics is a recent area of research in linguistics which looks at system-oriented and use- oriented “colonial power constellations and how they engage with linguistic items”, (Barbara Dewein et al., “Forschungsgruppe Koloniallinguistik: Profil – Programmatik – Projekte”, Zeitschrift für Germanistische Linguistik , 40 (2), 2012: 242-249 (244), “koloniale Machtkonstellationen in ihrer Verschränkung mit sprachlichen Gegenständen”), taking into account the historical and present use of German in its specific manifestations, conditions and functions. Topics in colonial linguistics include the use of language in naming and the use of names, linguistic policy, studies on the development of linguistic landscapes and on language contact and attitudes towards language (cf. Thomas Stolz, Christina Vossmann and Barbara Dewein, “Kolonialzeitliche Sprachforschung und das Forschungsprogramm Koloniallinguistik. Eine kurze Einführung”, in: eadem, (eds.), Kolonialzeitliche Sprachforschung. Die Beschreibung afrikanischer und ozeanischer Sprachen zur