An earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its... Show moreAn earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its aftermath - German colonies; III Deutsch Südwestafrika", written by Ton Dietz. Show less
An earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its... Show moreAn earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its aftermath - German colonies; III Deutsch Südwestafrika", written by Ton Dietz. Show less
An earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its... Show moreAn earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its aftermath - German colonies; III Deutsch Südwestafrika", written by Ton Dietz. Show less
An earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its... Show moreAn earlier version of this African Postal Heritage Paper was published as African Studies Centre Leiden Working Paper 118 / 2015: "A postal history of the First World War in Africa and its aftermath - German colonies; III Deutsch Südwestafrika", written by Ton Dietz. Show less
Studies of cultural tourism and indigenous identity are fraught with questions concerning exploitation, entitlement, ownership and authenticity. Unease with the idea of leveraging a group identity... Show moreStudies of cultural tourism and indigenous identity are fraught with questions concerning exploitation, entitlement, ownership and authenticity. Unease with the idea of leveraging a group identity for commercial gain is ever-present. This anthology articulates some of these debates from a multitude of standpoints. It assimilates the perspectives of members of indigenous communities, non-governmental organizations, tourism practitioners and academic researchers who participated in an action research project that aims to link research to development outcomes. The book's authors weave together discordant voices to create a dialogue of sorts, an endeavour to reconcile the divergent needs of the stakeholders in a way that is mutually beneficial. Although this book focuses on the ?Khomani Bushmen and the Zulu communities of Southern Africa, the issues raised are ubiquitous to the cultural tourism industry anywhere. Show less
Evers, S.J.T.M.; Notermans, C.; Ommering, E. van 2011
Descriptions of the late 1800s landscape in the Ovambo floodplain in north-central Namibia closely match the area's late 1900s appearence, suggesting that little change occured between the pre... Show moreDescriptions of the late 1800s landscape in the Ovambo floodplain in north-central Namibia closely match the area's late 1900s appearence, suggesting that little change occured between the pre-colonial baseline and the postcolonial outcome. Yet, paradoxically, colonial conquest, population pressure, biological invasions, new technology, and economic globalization caused both dramatic deforestation and reforestation in less than a century. The paradox stems from the fact that the prevailing global environmental models obscure and homogenize the process of environmental change: different and contradictory interpretations are dismissed as alternative readings or misreadings of the same process. Deforestation and reforestation in Namibia, however argues that the paradox highlights the need to reframe environmental change as plural processes occuring along multiple trajectories that may be dissynchronized and asymmetrical. Show less
The central tenets of this paper are that genocide and crimes against humanity are learnt practice, and that the seeds of the genocides that occurred in Namibia between 1904 and 1908 were sown in... Show moreThe central tenets of this paper are that genocide and crimes against humanity are learnt practice, and that the seeds of the genocides that occurred in Namibia between 1904 and 1908 were sown in the Congo in the late 19th century. The paper argues that the violence perpetrated by German officers in the service of the Belgian King Leopold in the Congo Free State was formative for the manner in which German colonial forces came to wage war in Tanzania, Namibia and China. In addition it argues that this violence was qualitatively different there where it could be and was checked by the intervention of civil society. [Book abstract, edited] Show less
Based on archival research, this book deals with the mass killings of peoples (particularly Herero and Nama) and conquest of land by German colonial forces between 1904-1908 in what was then known... Show moreBased on archival research, this book deals with the mass killings of peoples (particularly Herero and Nama) and conquest of land by German colonial forces between 1904-1908 in what was then known as German South West Africa (present-day Namibia). Most histories dealing with this Herero-German war at best only make passing reference to concentration camps and the prisoners kept there. The present book retraces the history of the concentration camps, also paying attention to patterns in the way prisoners were treated and what internment in the camps entailed for these people; the history of the Shark Island concentration camp in Lderitz; and the authorities responsible for the concentration camp mortalities. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Am 12. Januar 1904 brach in Namibia ein Krieg zwischen der deutschen Kolonialverwaltung und grossen Teilen der lokalen Bevölkerung aus - ein Krieg, der später als Herero-Krieg in die Annalen der... Show moreAm 12. Januar 1904 brach in Namibia ein Krieg zwischen der deutschen Kolonialverwaltung und grossen Teilen der lokalen Bevölkerung aus - ein Krieg, der später als Herero-Krieg in die Annalen der Kolonialgeschichte eingehen sollte. Dieses Kapitel versucht in dichter Beschreibung der Ereignisse unmittelbar vor und nach Ausbruch des Krieges sowie durch die konsequente Durchleuchtung individueller Handlungsrationalität das Augenmerk weg von strukturellen Ursachen des Krieges hin zu unmittelbaren Auslösern der Gewalt zu lenken. Es wird gezeigt, dass der Krieg nicht das Resultat eines länger geplanten Aufstandes der Herero gegen die deutsche Kolonialherrschaft war. Der Krieg war eine unmittelbare Folge der Siedlerparanoia in Verbindung mit der Inkompetenz und Panik eines deutschen Offiziers (Zürn). Fussnoten. [Zusammenfassung ASC Leiden] Show less
Following a brief description of the Herero genocide of 1904/1907, this chapter provides a chronological overview of the way in which the Herero have sought to draw the world's attention to the... Show moreFollowing a brief description of the Herero genocide of 1904/1907, this chapter provides a chronological overview of the way in which the Herero have sought to draw the world's attention to the crimes committed by imperial Germany in Namibia. Calls for recompensation revolve in the end around the issue of German government responsibility. That is, to what extent were the Herero genocide and related atrocities the product of German policy? To what extent were the criminal acts not merely the actions of individuals? Material presented in this chapter shows that the Herero genocide and associated atrocities were indeed officially sanctioned. During the Herero-German war, the German settlers and soldiers carried out a shoot-to-kill policy, conducted extrajudicial killings, established concentration camps, employed forced labour, and in at least two cases, established death camps. After the war, the loss of Herero liberty, land and stock was officially sanctioned in legislation. At no stage after 1904 were any German settlers or soldiers brought to justice for genocidal acts committed in Namibia between 1904 and 1908. Bibliogr., notes [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
Abbink, G.J.; Bruijn, M.E. de; Walraven, K. van 2003
This collective volume reinterprets the genre of resistance studies, introduces recent conceptual perspectives and considers examples of African (civil) wars and insurgent movements. Contributions... Show moreThis collective volume reinterprets the genre of resistance studies, introduces recent conceptual perspectives and considers examples of African (civil) wars and insurgent movements. Contributions: Rethinking resistance in African history, an introduction, by Klaas van Walraven and Jon Abbink. Part I (Historical perspectives): Resistance to Fulbe hegemony in nineteenth-century West Africa, by Mirjam de Bruijn and Han van Dijk; Colonial conquest in central Madagascar: who resisted what?, by Stephen Ellis; Revisiting resistance in Italian-occupied Ethiopia: the Patriots' Movement (1936-1941) and the redefinition of post-war Ethiopia, by Aregawi Berhe. Part 2 (Social inequalities and colonial hierarchies): Ambiguities of resistance and collaboration on the Eastern Cape Frontier: the Kat River Settlement 1829-1856, by Robert Ross; African mutinies in the Netherlands East Indies: a nineteenth-century colonial paradox, by Ineke van Kessel; Absence of evidence is no proof: slave resistance under German colonial rule in East Africa, by Jan-Georg Deutsch. Part 3 (Violence, meaning and ideology in resistance): The Kawousan War reconsidered, by Kimba Idrissa; 'Sawaba''s rebellion in Niger (1964-1965): narrative and meaning, by Klaas van Walraven; The vagaries of violence and power in post-colonial Mozambique, by Gerhard Seibert. Part 4 (Resistance as heritage and memory): Herero genocide in the twentieth century: politics and memory, by Jan-Bart Gewald; 'Namibia, land of the brave': selective memories on war and violence within nation building, by Henning Melber; Dervishes, 'moryaan' and freedom fighters: cycles of rebellion and the fragmentation of Somali society, 1900-2000, by Jon Abbink Show less
Between 1904 and 1908 imperial Germany pursued an active policy of genocide in German South West Africa, present-day Namibia. This chapter analyses the manner in which, during the course of the... Show moreBetween 1904 and 1908 imperial Germany pursued an active policy of genocide in German South West Africa, present-day Namibia. This chapter analyses the manner in which, during the course of the twentieth century, numerous people in varying contexts have sought to use the genocide perpetrated upon the Herero to further their own ends. It charts the manner in which a historical event has come to be deployed for varying and, at times, contradictory interests by German social democrats and English imperialists through to anti-Apartheid activists and postcolonial tribalists. It has been used to strengthen arguments that range from colonial policies through to claims that call for ethnic autonomy and compensation. Notes, ref., sum. [Book abstract] Show less
Between 1904 and 1908 imperial German troops committed genocide in German South West Africa, present-day Namibia. African survivors of the war were cruelly treated, placed in camps and put to work... Show moreBetween 1904 and 1908 imperial German troops committed genocide in German South West Africa, present-day Namibia. African survivors of the war were cruelly treated, placed in camps and put to work as forced labourers. This paper addresses the question of why German soldiers and settlers committed these atrocities. It argues that they were never directly ordered to commit such atrocities; instead, a social space was created in the central and southern Namibia of 1904-1908 in which the atrocities were deemed acceptable. In Germany, the concept of a German Empire with colonies developed to such an extent that it came to be seen as a necessity, a 'natural' destiny of Germany. However, the reality of the colony did not reflect the idealized image of German settlers and soldiers. In addition, events in China had indicated to German soldiers that the transgression of the limits of correct behaviour in a war situation was legitimated by the highest authority, the Kaiser. These factors, combined with the dreadful circumstances in which German volunteers found themselves in Namibia, contributed to the crimes committed. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
The colonial conquest of Namibia was extremely brutal. Repressive controls continued in the decades that followed as exemplified by the South African colonial administration's regulation of the... Show moreThe colonial conquest of Namibia was extremely brutal. Repressive controls continued in the decades that followed as exemplified by the South African colonial administration's regulation of the production and consumption of alcohol by the territory's black African inhabitants. Nonetheless, the colonial State's policies were inconsistent and vigorously opposed at every turn by differing sections of the black population. In this chapter, the unlikely alliance of two of the territory's Herero urban groups, the 'Otruppe', illiterate Herero men, and the female 'khari' beer brewers, is examined. During the 1920s and 1930s, they faced the colonial State's attempts to undercut and ultimately eradicate the illicit production of alcohol through the establishment of a Location Advisory Board. In so doing, they were pitted against the colonial State and a newly emerging Herero political elite. The 'angry young men' of the 'Otruppe' and the Herero women brewers proved to be an invincible alliance that managed to evade colonial regulations on alcohol. Bibliogr., notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
This article explores the social impact of the motorcar on the relationship between the colonial State, the mission, and the Herero in Namibia in the period before 1940. It looks at how... Show moreThis article explores the social impact of the motorcar on the relationship between the colonial State, the mission, and the Herero in Namibia in the period before 1940. It looks at how perceptions of space and reality changed, how information regarding these factors and society changed, and how both Herero and European missionaries were affected by, and dealt with, the introduction of the motorcar into their midst. The article disusses the introduction of the motorcar in 1904, the car and South African colonial rule, new legislation regarding the occupation of land and Herero mobility, cars and status, the disadvantages of motor vehicles, cars and farms, the disadvantages of waggons and the use of cars by missionaries. It shows that motor vehicles became an indispensable attribute of colonial rule in Namibia. The introduction of the motorcar led to the development of new hierarchies of power and status. It brought greater mobility and, consequently, contact among people, yet at the same time it led to the loss of contact between the missionaries and large sections of the Namibian population. Includes notes and bibliographical references. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
This article describes the contested relationship that existed between the Herero and German missionaries in Namibia between 1900 and 1940. It argues that Herero converted to Christianity with... Show moreThis article describes the contested relationship that existed between the Herero and German missionaries in Namibia between 1900 and 1940. It argues that Herero converted to Christianity with specific aims and intentions, which were not necessarily the same as those envisaged or intended by German missionaries. In taking on aspects of the modern world, through the mediation of the mission, the Herero came into conflict with the missionaries, especially in terms of their usage of particular skills, beliefs, attitudes and activities. Focusing on music and marching bands on the one hand, and funeral rites on the other, the article shows that specific forms of music, dress, and behaviour acquired by the Herero from the Lutheran mission were often transformed in ways that were considered unacceptable by the missionaries. Although the missionaries hoped to influence the everyday life of the Herero in such a manner as to conform to their ideas of what the modern world should be, in the end the Herero sought to live their lives on their own terms and on the basis of what they considered to be modernity. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum Show less
This chapter reviews the history of anthropology in Namibia, focusing on the work of Guenther Kurt F. Wagner, who was appointed as Assistant Government Anthropologist for South West Africa in 1949... Show moreThis chapter reviews the history of anthropology in Namibia, focusing on the work of Guenther Kurt F. Wagner, who was appointed as Assistant Government Anthropologist for South West Africa in 1949. Wagner's unpublished work, 'Ethnographic survey of the Windhoek district' (1951), shows that Windhoek was not occupied by antagonistic tribes in the 1950s. The study echoes Brigitte Lau's work on southern Namibia which, in contrast to the work of Heinrich Vedder, argues for an understanding of Namibian history which emphasizes cooperation instead of conflict. A new look at Wagner's work shows that in the urban area of Windhoek in the 1950s, there was more unity among the city's black inhabitants than an initial glance would seem to imply. Wagner's work is of particular relevance in Namibia today, where ethnic tension appears to be on the increase. An African Renaissance will be impossible if ethnic tensions do no decrease. Bibliogr., notes. [ASC Leiden abstract] Show less
