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Deutschnamibier is the name for the ethnic Germans citizens of the South West African Republic of Namibia. Many Deutschnamibier live today already in the fifth generation here, as consequence of a German settlement since early 19. Century, above all however during the time of the realm-German colony German southwest Africa from 1874 to 1918. Today about 30,000 Deutschnamibier live in Namibia, whereby by mixture both an ethnical affiliation can be statistically only with difficulty held under that about to 100,000 white Namibiern and a linguistic affiliation - above all opposite Africa to and English -. The schwarznamibischen "SWAPO orphan children" grown up in the former GDR are worth mentioning, who form a special group under the Deutschnamibiern due to its East German childhood and education.
The deutschnamibische population concentrates particularly on south and central Namibia - and here the cities Windhuk and Swakopmund, where the German language in Namibia - beside Africa to (and the official office language English) - an important traffic language is. Apart from the language a country-wide influence of the Deutschnamibier remains particularly in Ess and fixed culture, clubs and societies as well as economic structure alive.
Many place names as well as buildings from the realm-German colonial age coin/shape today still the picture of many namibischer cities and landscapes, e.g. the four sand he castles (Heinitz, heavy in and Sanderburg in Windhoek, and lock Duwisib with Malta height) - designated after her architect William Sander), the Hohenzollernhaus, the office for district and "old persons the district court" into Swakopmund as well as the house into load-cut. Also the numerous military buildings from that time like e.g. the "old person of celebrations" in Windhuk, the pioneer barracks and the military hospital in Swakopmund, furthermore the Forts of Sesfontein and Namutoni (Etosha), as well as almost all station buildings in completely Namibia.
There is give expressed an active association life, whose roots go back clearly on the German colonial age in Namibia: Turn associations, shepherd dog associations, singing associations, riding associations, Skatvereine, cone associations and veteran associations are there almost everywhere, where at least seven ethnic Germans Namibier meet. In Windhuk the WIKA, the Windhoeker Karneval, is which orients itself at the Cologner and Mainzer models, and who Octoberfest large city celebrations, which firm apart from the African celebrations components of Windhuks are.
Since early 20. Century developed its own deutschnamibische : If there is war, we go to Morenga (Uwe Timm) into the desert (Henno Martin), the Erstgeborenen (Giselher W. Hoffmann) are also in Germany well-known works. The plays to today a role as unofficial hymn of many Weissnamibier (considering a past melancholy).
The first Germans in Namibia were the mission acres of the Londoner and later then the Rheini mission (both institutions end 18 worked. Century closely together, there the Rheini mission still no own mission mechanisms in the southern Africa had). Like that there was the brothers Albrecht and after them the mission acres Johann Hinrich Schmelen, Rath, Kleinschmidt, cock, Veith, Brincker and Heinrich Vedder to call (in order only some from them to), starting from 1805 in southwest Africa established itself and there quite valuable culture work, in addition, - the spirit of the time accordingly - carried preliminary work out for the later Kolonisation.
The dealers followed them and after the landing of the bark "Tilly" in the loading cutting bay in the year 1883 increasingly German officials, settler, craftsman and soldier. After southwest Africa had been explained to 1884 officially as the colony German southwest Africa and recognized also by England, a ever more strongly becoming inflow from Germany began, which 1908 by the first diamond finds with load-cut its high point found.
This development stagnated after end of the First World War, into whose consequence Germany became to transfer South Africa by the Versailler contract any requirement on its colonies extracted and from the the mandate over German southwest Africa. In the course of the following of southwest about half of the there still living 15,000 Germans proved itself and to their farms South Africans was handed over (which led to one to stress ratio which can be felt today between burischen and ethnic German Farmern). Policy of South Africa the called "Entgermanisierung" changed only by the Londoner agreement from 23 October 1923, after which the Germans remained in the country the British nationality and the Zuwanderung from Germany as well as the development of the German language were offered were seriously promoted. Approx. 3,200 Germans made use from the possibility of the citizen change.
The relationship between the ethnic Germans and burischen inhabitants of southwest Africa 1927 again loaded by the influx of the last 1,800 Dorsland Trekker returning from Angola. English dominated South Africa put no increased value on their return to the national territory of the South African union and supported therefore the desire of the Dorsland Trekker to want to remain in southwest Africa particularly since they had found well-meaning admission there around the turn of the century on the escape before the Englishmen already once. 1927 however were the joy with the ethnic Germans Farmern over this "Heimkehrer" rather absorbed, there it in their settlement - surely not whole to injustice - a further step in the effort saw, southwest Africa to 5. Province from South Africa to "degradieren". Before this background and in view of also the dramatic consequences of the world economic crisis (approx. 70-80% of the livestocks were lost), noticeable in southwest Africa, from Germany imported" national movement " had an easy play: 1932 were created the South West African folder of the NSDAP with offices generally speaking country. This party had comparatively just as large inlet among the ethnic Germans as in Germany, so that the South African mandate saw itself forced to already forbid the party 1934 again.
With beginning of the Second World War South Africa with limited majority placed itself on the English side, without intervening however actively in the war. The ethnic Germans inhabitants living in southwest Africa were placed nevertheless 1939 first under farm or house arrest and spent starting from 1940 in internment camps to South Africa, where they had to remain to 1946. Starting from 1942 the 1923 awarded British nationality were again denied to them.
The apartheid politics operated by South Africa encountered increasing criticism by the UN and had at the same time also a developing and Erstarken of a black resistance movement - also in southwest Africa - to the consequence. Equally thereby the relationship between the South African mandate and the population improved, so that the intensified Zuwanderung from Germany, which can be determined after the Second World War, was seen quite well-meaning.
Most the Deutschnamibier today living in Namibia are descendants of Farmern, officials of the colonial administration, craftsmen and members of the colonial force as well as the two immigration waves using after the world wars. For approximately 1980 the increasing tourism led to increased land or Immobilienwerb by Germans, here the durable holidays domicile or a age resting seat to furnish itself meant. Namibia is on foreign investments dependent, far parts of the namibischen population sees however this new form of the "after-colonial colonization" with concern and also suspicions.
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