Returning remains of born blacksOctober 4 2011 was a colossal day in post-independence Namibia. The country witnessed the return of 20 humans skulls taken from this nation state, to Germany, for studies to ostensibly prove that blacks are inferior to whites. This view is not something one picks up during this period of entering archives; it is a view held by many whites even today. It is this narrow and cannibalistic view that sustained more than 350 years of systematic oppression of the black people. This commentary places the return of the skulls in perspective. It looks at German colonialism, the studies conducted on skulls, the subject of repatriation and reparation and concludes with few suggestions on reparations.
German colonialism
In Africa, Germany colonized German East Africa (today Tanzania), Togoland (Togo), Kamerun (today Cameroon) and German Southwest Africa (now Namibia). Like other colonies, Namibia was self-awarded to Germany at the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885 where the then European capitalist thugs carved Africa among themselves like hooligans dividing a bread they grabbed from a pedestrian.
After the First World War, with Germany defeated, her colonies were confiscated by allied victors of this war. This event of history meant no peace for natives, it only symbolized an exchange of an item between same vipers; from German to Britain (her proxy Apartheid South Africa). Imperial contact, however, already existed when a German capitalist, Adolf Luderitz, engaged in deceptive mercantilism, in the early 1880s, in Angra Penquena which he renamed after himself (it so remains).
After the Berlin conference, names such as Heinrich Ernst Göring, Theodor von Leut-wein, Friedrich von Lindequist, Bruno von Schuckmann and Theodor Seitz are recorded in history as names of men tasked with the responsibility of consolidating and governing the then South West Africa (Namibia) as a German colony of strategic economic importance.
The recorded history shows this colony housed more German settlers (it so remains).
Many are familiar with the name of General Lothar von Trotha. Von Trotha faced brave resistance from the natives (Herero and Nama) during the War of National Resistance (1904-1908).
During that period, the undomesticated Von Trotha issued an extermination order to kill all Hereros in the country thus marking one of the devastating genocides of the 20th Century.
Some sources estimates that more than 50 000 Hereros (more than 60% of their population then) and about 10 000 Namas (about 50% of their population then) were killed.
The skulls under discussion originates from this dark period of history.
Slayers and their non(sense)
Whites always saw themselves superior to blacks who were and remain the oppressed in many interesting ways. The whites ensured that blacks assume their inferior role at all level of human interaction. This is the story of slavery, colonialism, neocolonialism and the new tendency called regime change. How can blacks suffer more than 350 years of systematic oppression is something they are still trying to understand.
On their part, black theologist came up with a term called ‘Black theodicy’ which is understood to be an “attempt to makes sense of Black suffering, and seek to explore what God’s involvement (or non-involvement) is in this…Black Theodicies [explore] why the Black community has suffered over the years - and in particular the matter of why they have endured slavery and various forms of racism.”
German colonial rule had built several concentration camps where natives were placed to die. Writing in a Swedish daily newspaper, Sydsvenska Dagbladet, on August 21 2004, Annika Westman provides a narrative of Dr. Eugen Fischer, a Racial Biologist, who came to the then South West Africa to carry out his ‘race theory’ experiments.
The purpose of the experiments, the author writes, were “to prove the inferiority of
…there are reports that 778 autopsies were performed for the so-called race-biological research.
Measuring skulls was a common method, and female prisoners were forced to scrape the skulls clean with glass shards before the examination.”
To share his findings, Fischer went on to write two books; “The Rehoboth Bastards and the Bastardisation Problem in Humans” and “The Principles of Human Heredity and Race Hygiene.”
Hitler would soon get his hands on these books while in prison, for inspiration.
Hitler’s Nazi bible, Mein Kampf, had made several references to Fischer’s books. It is ruminated that Fischer had direct influence on Hendrik Verwoerd when he was in Germany (later becoming the Prime Minister of Apartheid South Africa).
This is the thread; Race studies are done on black Namibians culminating in a book - that will inspire Hitler - who will cause Second World War.
Similarly, dim-witted studies were seemingly told to students - of which one of them was Hendrik Verwoerd - who will fully implement Apartheid - that added more pain and suffering on those already suffering.
The Germans transported these human remains to Berlin where they were kept, for 100 years, at Charite’s Medical History Museum.
Repatriation and Reparation (Reconciliation
- Justice = Evil) ...
Full article: http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=41018&title=Returning%20remains%20%20of%20born%20blacks
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