Namibia pulls down statue of German colonizer
Windhoek, Namibia (AFP):
Authorities in Namibia’s capital Windhoek have taken down and relocated a statue of a controversial German colonial officer following pressure from local activists.
The monument commemorated Curt von Francois, a German army commissioner who has been historically credited with “founding Windhoek” — something local campaigners and historians dispute, highlighting the violence and brutality he unleashed at the local people.
The statue, which stood on a high pedestal outside municipal buildings, depicted von Francois in a military uniform with a moustache, a large hat, and holding a sword.
“This moment is a recollection of dignity. Our city has been white-washed,” Hildegard Titus, an activist with the A Curt Farewell movement that pushed for the statue’s removal, remarked.
“There is an emotional tie to the statue being taken down but it also has to do with historical accuracy.”
The city council said the statue, which A Curt Farewell described as “a reminder of genocide”, will now be kept at the Windhoek City Museum.
There it will be displayed with an explanation of the historical context of the ravages of colonialism, said Aaron Nambadi, a curator at the museum.
“We as historians and curators were involved in this project to correct the false narrative that von Francois was the ‘founder’ of the city,” Nambadi said.
Namibia remained a German colony from 1884 to 1915.
Between 1904 and 1908, German settlers killed tens of thousands of indigenous Herero and Nama people massacres historians have described as the 20th century’s first genocide.
Germany finally officially acknowledged the genocide last year after lengthy, bitter negotiations.
It promised more than one billion euros ($1 billion) in financial support to descendants of the victims, who many Namibians argue were not sufficiently involved in the negotiations.
Last month Namibia asked to renegotiate the terms of the agreement.
Two years ago the statue of Cecil Rhodes, a British colonialist, was beheaded by activists at the University of Cape Town in South Africa during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
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