Facing a “Difficult Heritage”
Decolonizing Baden-Württemberg's Relationship with Namibia through Research, Restitution, and Repatriation
in German Politics and SocietySearch for other papers by Marta Millar in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
All currencies in US Dollar
Abstract
Baden-Württemberg has positioned itself as a leader in German efforts to recognize the colonial past and pursue reconciliation with Namibia. Restitution projects in the 2010s shaped the Namibia Initiative Baden-Württemberg. My analysis of Landtag documents reveals a gradual transformation of this debate about German colonial responsibility and adoption of calls for Aufarbeitung. State-level arguments reflected broader national and European discussions about restitution while emphasizing the influence of local initiatives. Following the 2019 restitution of Hendrik Witbooi's possessions, Baden-Württemberg's cultural ministry and most political parties embraced Aufarbeitung as part of future work at state institutions. This close examination of Baden-Württemberg's initiative could serve as a model for other German Länder as they work toward decolonizing their institutions.
Contributor Notes
Marta Millar is a doctoral student in modern European history at the City University of New York Graduate Center and a teaching fellow at Baruch College. She holds a master's in international affairs from The Pennsylvania State University and a master's in history from the CUNY Graduate Center. Her research areas include German and Namibian memory politics, southern African colonial histories, and science diplomacy and international education. She is the program director of the University of Freiburg's Liaison Office North America and a member of the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York's Advisory Board.