This thesis examines the legacies of the 1904-1908 Ovaherero and Nama genocide, perpetrated by German soldiers in Southwest Africa (modern-day Namibia). How the atrocities committed in the name of colonialism subsequently vanished from the public consciousness in Germany, the process by which this era has come back into focus, and the impact of recent efforts to reckon with colonial violence are considered. In May 2021, the German government offered €1.1 billion in development aid to the descendants of the Ovaherero and Nama, a promising gesture that at the same time exposed the flaws of negotiations between Namibia, Germany, and the victim communities. The past two years have also marked a watershed moment in German memory culture, as recent comparisons between German colonialism and the Holocaust have ignited a furious debate among historians, the likes of which have not been seen in Germany since controversies surrounding this subject arose in the 1980s. This paper seeks to contribute a nuanced discussion of the Ovaherero and Nama genocide within the framework of German memory culture, revealing how the legacy of this event challenges established conceptions of coming to terms with a past plagued by acts of genocidal violence. Despite progress in confronting the silences surrounding the colonial era, Germany’s unresolved reckoning with the Ovaherero and Nama genocide nonetheless tarnishes the nation’s reputation as a pioneer in addressing instances of historical injustice.
Douglas, Milo Pick,
"Memory and Denial: Confronting the Enduring Legacies of the Ovaherero and Nama Genocide"
(2022).
History Theses and Dissertations.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/v3af-0m02