Confronting Colonialism in Germany: Are We Doing Enough?

Germany is renowned for laying the ground rules for what became known as the “scramble for Africa” in 1885. Although German colonialism is somewhat part of the country’s university curricula and studied by scholars, German society is yet to reflect upon the legacies of colonisation critically. Consequently, patterns of colonial thought might still be prevalent – perpetuated consciously or unintentionally through daily personal interactions, the media, but also teaching and research.

In this GIGA Forum, we will look back on Germany’s colonial past, critically evaluate the colonial discourse, its implications for society, and the role of Social Science in confronting colonialism in Germany.

Panelists: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Zimmerer is Professor for Global History at the Universität Hamburg.

Prof. Dr. Louis Henri Seukwa is Professor for Educational Sciences at the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences.

Naita Hishoono is Executive Director at the Namibia Institute for Democracy.

Moderator: Dr. Lynda Chinenye Iroulo is Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for African Affairs (IAA).