Committed to the path of reconciliation

Namibia is commemorating the fate of the Herero and Nama with an official day of remembrance on Wednesday, 28 May 2025: an estimated 100,000 people from these population groups died between 1904 and 1908 during the atrocities of the colonial era. The path to reconciliation and remembering the victims are also important for Germany.

In 2021, the Federal Government made it clear that Germany wants to ask Namibia and the descendants of the victims for forgiveness. It recognised the genocide committed in what was then German South West Africa and Germany's moral, historical and political responsibility for it. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier emphasised this in his speechat the state funeral for former Namibian President Hage Geingob in 2024: "Reconciliation is not about closing the past; it is about taking responsibility for our past - and it is a commitment to a better future together."

Why is 28 May a day of remembrance in Namibia? Last year, the Namibian government proclaimed 28 May as "Genocide Remembrance Day" - after years of debate about a day of remembrance that needed to be acceptable for all affected communities in Namibia. The day of remembrance will be celebrated for the first time in 2025. It commemorates the date in 1908 when the closure of all concentration camps, as they were known at the time, in German South West Africa was ordered.

Colonial crimes in German South West Africa

From 1884 to 1915, the German Reich was the colonial power in what is now Namibia. German soldiers used military force against the local population and continued to expand German territory. From 1904 to 1908, German colonial rulers waged a war of extermination against the Herero and Nama.

Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha ordered the complete annihilation of the Herero in October 1904 and the Nama in April 1905. 100,000 people died of violence or as a result of thirst or perished in camps. These crimes are considered the first genocide of the 20^th century.

Return of cultural assets: the Bible and whip of the Nama leader and national hero Hendrik Witbooi (1830 to 1905) have been back in Namibia since 2019.

Photo: epd-bild/Gerhard Baeuerle

Germany recognises its responsibility

One of Germany's key concerns is addressing the atrocities committed between 1904 and 1908. Close cooperation exists in areas such as the repatriation of cultural assets, cultural preservation, scientific and historical research and the promotion of bilateral cultural projects. In May 2021, Germany and Namibia initialled a joint declaration on the addressing of colonial crimes committed by Germany. Further talks are still being held between the two sides. German Ambassador Dr Thorsten Hutter will take part in the central commemoration ceremony in Namibia.

The key facts remain: the crimes committed under German colonial rule are the darkest chapter in German-Namibian relations. Recognising German guilt and apologising are important steps towards addressing the crimes and shaping the future together.