125th Anniversary of the Berlin Africa Conference - commemoration - reappraisal - reparation

125 years ago, in the winter of 1884/85, the Chancellor of the German Reich, Otto von Bismarck, invited representatives of the then-world powers to the Berlin Conference. In the name of progress and humanity, and against the background of European racist ideology, the representatives of twelve European states, the Ottoman Empire, and the USA, convened to decide on the further colonial partitioning and exploitation of the African continent. In addition, the Berlin Conference marked Germany's accession into the circle of imperial powers. In the following thirty-years, Germany was able to establish hegemony over the areas nowadays known as Namibia, Togo, Cameroon, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda. However, the history of colonialism is marginalized and rarely publicly discussed in this country. At first imbued with nostalgic sentiment, afterwards ignored and supressed, the German colonial history is today perceived as harmless, as not relevant, as something that happened in the past. On the occassion of the 125th anniversary of the Berlin Africa conference we (an alliance of NGOs) call for a fundamental change regarding Germany's approach towards its colonial past. On this page you will find events organised by the alliance. The website of the campaign is |+| www.berliner-afrika-konferenz.de/