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Conference Report „Cameroon’s Cultural Heritage in Germany“
This conference reports summarises discussions at the national conference on the publication „Atlas of Absence – Cameroon’s cultural heritage in Germany“, held 3 to 5 October in Yaoundé. The responsible Cameroonian-German research team is led by Prof Albert GOUAFFO (University of Dschang) and Prof Bénédicte SAVOY (Technical University of Berlin). Deutsche Fassung des Berichts am…
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Interview with Dr Valence Silayo (University of Dar es Salaam)
In this interview, Dr Valence Silayo from the University of Dar es Salaam addresses the entangled history between Tanzania and Germany. He highlights the extreme colonial violence in his country and calls for restitution of ancestral remains and cultural heritage as well as reparations. His present work as guest researcher at Linden Museum Stuttgart focuses…
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Interview with Princesse Marilyn Douala Bell
In a touching interview, Princesse Marilyn Douala Bell, Director of Doual’art, talks about her memory work on German colonialism in Cameroon. She provides details on the exhibition and symposium „Once upon a time – Birth of the State of Cameroon“, scheduled for end of October 2024 in Yaoundé.
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Berlin Meeting on Declaration by Cameroon’s Civil Society for Return of Cultural Heritage
In August 2024, the Cameroonian Civil Society Declaration on the return of looted cultural heritage was presented in Berlin. The Declaration was received with much interest and appreciation. Participants explored ways how German actors could become involved in addressing colonial legacies and restitution together with Cameroonian partners.
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Civil society statement from Cameroon on return of colonial loot
The civil society statement from Cameroon on the return of objects and artefacts looted during colonisation identifies threats and opportunities for future action. It puts special emphasis on Cameroon’s relationship with its former colonial power Germany.
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Interview mit Léontine Meijer-van Mensch zu ihrem Abschied von Sachsen
In einem faszinierenden Interview zieht Léontine Meijer-van Mensch ein sehr persönliches Resümee ihrer fast sechsjährigen Tätigkeit als Leiterin der Staatlichen Ethnographischen Sammlungen Sachsen.
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Culture Commissioner withdraws controversial paper
What place does colonialism have in Germany’s culture of remembrance? The question is all the more urgent after Culture Commissioner Claudia Roth withdrew her controversial draft „framework concept“. Together with partners in former colonies, German civil society should now engage in conversations on a multi-perspective memory culture.
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Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and colonialism
On 5 June 2024, Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock delivered a keynote address at the launch of the book „The Foreign Office and the Colonies“. While some commentators regret that she did not present a comprehensive strategy for dialogue with former colonies, others see the speech as a promising start for decolonizing Germany’s Foreign Service.
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New: German Colonial Restitution Monitor
This text informs about the newly established German Colonial Restitution Monitor which aims to provide comprehensive information about restitution activities for material cultural heritage from colonial contexts. This is a collaborative work in progress to be continuously updated. The Monitor can be accessed via the homepage of www.dekolonial-erinnern.de.
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Interview with Flower Manase (National Museum of Tanzania)
Flower Manase, Senior Curator at the National Museum of Tanzania, talks about the mission and activities of her museum. And about her experiences with German institutions and civil society.