﻿How Germany Got Rid Of Its Black Population. Germany, like many other European nations,
had a long history of colonialism and exploitation in Africa. In the late 19th
and early 20th centuries, Germany established colonies on the continent, including German
East Africa and German Southwest Africa. And while Germany never had a significant black population,
it was involved in the transatlantic slave trade and the exploitation of African people. The German
colonizers were involved in the oppression and exploitation of the local populations. Forced
labor and violence were common, and the Herero and Namaqua genocide in German Southwest Africa
resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of people. This is a story of discrimination and
persecution the likes of which you’ve probably never heard of. Today we want to shine a light
on the story of the Afro German people!. The story of Afro-Germans is deeply rooted in the
history of slavery and colonization in Africa. During the 18th century, Africans were brought
to Germany as slaves from the western coast of Africa, where a number of German estates
were established, primarily on the Gold Coast. But there were also exceptions to this tragic history.
Anton Wilhelm Amo, a Ghana-born man, was sponsored by a German duke to become the first African to
attend a European university during the 1720s. After completing his studies, he taught and wrote
in philosophy. Today, Afro-Germans are citizens or residents of Germany who are of Sub-Saharan
African descent. With the cities of Hamburg and Frankfurt once being centers of occupation
forces following World War II and more recent immigration, they have substantial Afro-German
communities. But with modern trade and migration, other cities like Berlin, Munich, and Cologne are
also seeing an increasing number of Afro-Germans. As of 2020, it is estimated that there are one
million Afro-Germans living in Germany, which has a total population of over 80 million people.
This shows the growing diversity of Germany and how it continues to evolve over time.
The history of Germany's relationship with Africa is complex and deeply intertwined
with the legacy of colonialism. At the 1884 Berlin Congo conference, European powers,
including Germany, divided Africa into areas of influence which they would control.
Germany established colonies in the African Great Lakes region and West Africa,
which led to the migration of numerous Africans to Germany for the first time.
Germany appointed indigenous specialists for the colonial administration and economy,
and many young Africans went to Germany to be educated. Some received higher education at German
schools and universities, but the majority were trained at mission training and colonial training
centers as officers or domestic mission teachers. Africans frequently served as interpreters for
African languages at German-Africa research centers and with the colonial administration.
The legacy of Germany's colonial past can still be seen in the Afrikanisches Viertel in Berlin,
with streets and squares named after countries and locations tied to the German colonial empire.
Today, it is home to a substantial portion of Berlin's residents of African heritage.
However, the relationship between Germans and Africans in the colonies was not always positive.
Interracial couples were subjected to strong pressure in a campaign against miscegenation,
which included invalidating marriages,
declaring mixed-race children illegitimate, and stripping them of German citizenship.
The German colonial administration was also responsible for horrific acts of violence, as seen
in the extermination of the Nama people in 1907. The German director for colonial affairs, Bernhard
Dernburg, even stated that "some native tribes, just like some animals, must be destroyed.
The situation for African colonials in Germany changed during World War I, when Belgium,
Britain, and France took control of Germany's colonies in Africa. The Africans who possessed
a colonial German identification card were entitled to treatment as "members of the former
protectorates." After the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, Africans were encouraged to become citizens
of their respective mandate countries, but many preferred to stay where they were. They
continued to request German help and support through petitions and publications such as the
bilingual periodical Elolombe ya Cameroon. Unfortunately, the situation for Afro-Germans
worsened during the Nazi period. Naturalized Afro-Germans lost their passports, and working
conditions and travel were made extremely difficult for Afro-German professionals in
the entertainment industry. Afro-Germans were socially isolated and forbidden from having
sexual relations and marriages with Aryans by the Nuremberg Laws. The discrimination directed at
Afro-Germans continued with the so-called Rhineland bastards, where Nazi officials
subjected some 500 Afro-German children to forced sterilization. They were considered
"enemies of the race-based state," along with Jews and Roma. The Nazis sought to rid the German
state of Jews and Romani through deportation and extermination, while Afro-Germans were to
be segregated and eventually exterminated through compulsory sterilization. Despite these difficult
circumstances, some Afro-Germans survived and later wrote about their experiences. In 1999,
Hans Massaquoi published Destined to Witness, about his life in Germany under Nazi rule.
In 2013, Theodor Wonja Michael published his autobiography, Deutsch Sein Und Schwarz Dazu,
and was also the main witness in the documentary film Pages in the Factory of Dreams.
The end of World War II brought Allied occupation forces into Germany, including soldiers of African
American, Afro-Caribbean, or African descent. Some of these soldiers fathered children with
ethnic German women, resulting in the birth of around 8,000 biracial Afro German children
immediately after the war. However, the American, British, and French forces generally maintained
non-fraternization rules and discouraged civilian-soldier marriages. Most single ethnic
German mothers kept their "brown babies," but thousands were adopted by American families and
grew up in the United States without knowledge of their full ancestry. The United States kept more
than 100,000 soldiers stationed in Germany until the end of the Cold War. Many of these soldiers
established their lives in Germany and founded families with ethnic German wives and children.
However, the federal government of West Germany pursued a policy of isolating or
removing from Germany those children that it described as "mixed-race negro children.
Audre Lorde, a Black American writer and activist, spent the years from 1984 to 1992
teaching at the Free University of Berlin. During her time in Germany, she helped push the coining
of the term "Afro-German" into a movement that addressed the intersectionality of race, gender,
and sexual orientation. She encouraged Black German women such as May Ayim and
Ika Hügel-Marshall to write and publish poems and autobiographies as a means of gaining visibility.
Lorde pursued intersectional global feminism and acted as an advocate for that movement in Germany.
Her work helped pave the way for a new generation of Afro-German activists
who continue to fight against racism, discrimination, and marginalization.
Afro-Germans faced significant challenges in their fight against racism and discrimination.
One of the major challenges was the lack of recognition and visibility of their experiences
in German society. For a long time, the dominant narrative of German history ignored or downplayed
the existence and contributions of Afro-Germans. Another challenge was the persistence of racial
stereotypes and prejudices in German society. Afro-Germans were often subjected to racist slurs,
discrimination in employment, housing, and education, and police harassment.
They also faced difficulties in accessing resources and services, and were often excluded
from mainstream cultural and social events. In addition, the legal and political systems
in Germany were often slow to respond to the needs and demands of Afro-Germans. Many laws
and policies perpetuated racial inequalities and discrimination, and it took significant activism
and advocacy to bring about change. In recent years, there have been several efforts in Germany
to address systemic racism and discrimination in society. Some of these efforts include:
The creation of the German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency, which provides
support and advice to individuals who experience discrimination based on their ethnicity, religion,
gender, or other characteristics. The establishment of diversity and anti-racism
training programs for police officers, teachers, and other professionals who work
with diverse populations. These programs aim to raise awareness of unconscious
biases and promote more inclusive practices. The implementation of affirmative action policies
in hiring and education to increase representation of marginalized groups, including Afro-Germans.
The recognition of Afro-German history and culture through the establishment of museums
and cultural centers that showcase the experiences and contributions of Afro-Germans. The integration
of Afro-German perspectives and experiences into school curricula to promote a more inclusive and
representative education system. The formation of advocacy groups and coalitions that work to
raise awareness of and address systemic racism and discrimination in society. While there is still a
long way to go in addressing systemic racism and discrimination in Germany, these efforts
represent important steps towards creating a more inclusive and equitable society for all.
While progress has been made, there is still much work to
be done in addressing systemic racism and discrimination in German society.
However, some of the outcomes of recent efforts include: Greater awareness of the experiences
and contributions of marginalized groups, including Afro-Germans, in German history
and culture. Improved access to support and resources for individuals who experience
discrimination based on their ethnicity, religion, gender, or other characteristics.
Increased representation of marginalized groups in hiring and education, including affirmative
action policies that aim to address historical inequalities. Greater understanding of unconscious
biases and more inclusive practices among professionals who work with diverse populations,
such as police officers and teachers. The formation of advocacy groups and coalitions that
work to raise awareness of and address systemic racism and discrimination in society.
These outcomes represent important steps towards creating a more equitable and inclusive society
in Germany. However, ongoing efforts are needed to ensure that these gains are sustained and expanded
upon, and that all individuals are able to fully participate in and benefit from German society.
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