In a lecture held the 6th of March 2024, Henning Melber, a German-Namibian professor specialized on African decolonization and Director Emeritus at the Dag Hammarskjöld Foundation, provided us with interesting (and often forgotten) insights about the German colonialism and the Namibian perspective.
In the early 20th century, imperial Germany stood as one of the foremost colonial powers, boasting territories across West, East, and Southern Africa, China, and the South Seas. Following World War I, these territories were transferred as mandates to other colonial states. This lecture provides an overview of the profound consequences of German colonialism, examining the persistent trends of colonial apologetics, reminiscences, and colonial amnesia that have endured since that era.
It also evaluates the increasing recognition of these historical injustices, prompting efforts to confront and address the long-suppressed colonial past. Finally, the lecture critically analyzes the ongoing German-Namibian negotiations aimed at acknowledging the genocide perpetrated in South West Africa.
