„Once upon a time – Birth of the State of Cameroon“: Upcoming exhibition and symposium in Yaoundé
Thomas Fues: Would you please tell us something about the work of your cultural institution, Doual’art, which explores the past of your country during German colonialism?
Rewriting our history
Princesse Marilyn Douala Bell: We are in the train of rewriting our history through our own eyes. Most of our work is focused on the traces of the German past. We have created a digital platform which is called „Vestiges de l’Architecture Allemande au Cameroun (VAAC)“, meaning traces of German architecture in Cameroon. We use it to collect information on German built historical structures anywhere in our country and make it available for the general public. To give one example:
Colonial traces in Batouri
A short while ago we went to Batouri in the East of Cameroon. There, we found that the whole town as you see it today was built by the Germans during colonial rule. People live and work there and have absolutely no clue about this history. This is strange since Batouri was one of the most important regions for Germans to extract value by mining gold and other mineral resources. And that past is shaping today’s economic and social situation. We at Doual’art want to use this kind of information to enhance the understanding of the birth of our country. German rule brought the people of Cameroon into the global market economy. We want to create an awareness of how this process started and its enduring impact until the present.
Remembering anticolonial heroes
Another avenue where we look at the traces of our colonial past refers to the heroes who fought against German domination. We know and have to tell loudly the fate of Rudolf Duala Manga Bell and Ngoso Din who were hanged by German rulers in August 1914 in a specific situation. It is equally important to talk about the many leaders in other parts of the countries who were killed as a consequence of their anti-colonial resistance. In Batouri which I mentioned before, we met the local chief. He is the head of a canton with 68 villages, quite an impressive position. He did not know anything about the German past of his region, total amnesia. He still needs to find out if possibly one of his ancestors suffered from German violence.
Exhibition Kamerunstadt
As a contemporary art centre working in the social arena, we use innovative methods to get people talking. For example, over the last 10 years we’ve brought an exhibition called Kamerunstadt to life in schools, neighbourhoods and chiefdoms across Cameroon. Starting next year, we’ll be working with performance art. It’s also a challenge to raise people’s awareness of art! It’s also a challenge to raise people’s awareness of artistic expression!
How did the chief of Batouri respond to your information about the colonial past?
Amnesia is not helpful
There are no painful memories and, frankly, he is not interested in the topic. He is fully occupied in managing his daily duties and does not see any gain in addressing the past. That’s how many people in Cameroon feel. In contrast to this attitude, I see the need to remember the past since amnesia does not help us. I am sure much trauma was caused during German colonialism which negatively affects people today. That’s why I am contacting other regions in the country with similar experiences like the hanging of my great-grandfather and others 110 years ago. One of the reasons why he was killed by the Germans were his efforts to reach out to other populations in Cameroon in order to create a unified federation against the colonizers.
Outreach to chiefdoms and communities
Now I go out to other chiefdoms and communities to collect information about the period of German colonialism. And I try to identify researchers and residents in these regions who can bring in their knowledge. To give an example of what I learned in this process is the fact that the Germans cut off the heads of leaders they had killed and shipped them off to Germany. I know this now because I met the descendant of a leader who suffered this fate. And the ancestral remains are still kept in Germany to this day. I am not a researcher. My aim is to identify relevant information, documents and archives related to German rule. Then researchers and artists can work with this material. Often, important knowledge of this kind is held by old people who received it from their grandparents. When they die, the traces that link us to the past disappear.
Dialogues on common past
AfricAvenir, in particular Prince Kum’a Ndumbe III, has done impressive work in this regard. 100 years after the Berlin Africa conference, in 1985, he went to villages and talked to old people who had personally experienced German colonialism. Unfortunately, the impact of these efforts has been minimal so far. Today, we face the challenge of creating awareness in Cameroon for history and make sources available for further research and knowledge production, as well as opening wide dialogues on that common past.
What role do you see for German institutions and civil society to collaborate with you?
For the moment, this work has to be done in Cameroon. Of course, there is a need for financial support and certain skills. But we must manage the process on our own. To give an example where collaboration could be helpful: Recently, I met a young chief in a location close to Douala. He inherited a box from his father, the previous chief, with lots of documents written in Duala or German and signed by political authorities. Some documents are in bad shape. Digitalization would be a good step to preserve them. Here, partners from Germany could possibly cooperate. The chief also told me of pottery in his small village which was most likely produced in the German era. But nobody takes care of it since people are leaving for the big cities. Therefore, we need to take care of such objects from the past which might otherwise be lost forever. Archiving and translating relevant documents by skilled persons could also benefit from German collaboration. The main point is to find out about remaining colonial traces and cooperate with local people.
Where do you stand regarding the transfer of the exhibition „Hey Hamburg, do you know Rudolf Duala Manga Bell?“ to Cameroon?
When I was invited to be on the board of the Hamburg exhibition I had two conditions. First, that the exhibition should travel to Cameroon. Second, that the restitution of cultural heritage would be addressed. MARKK (Museum am Rothenbaum Kulturen und Künste der Welt) Director Barbara Plankensteiner agreed to both my conditions. We have started the transfer of the exhibition but it needs to be modified for the audience in Cameroon. One important change refers to the title. The exhibition is now called: „Once upon a time – Birth of the State of Cameroon“. This is an indication that we have decided to extend the focus. Rather than concentrating exclusively on Rudolf Duala Manga Bell, the exhibition now addresses the whole of Cameroon under German rule. While King Rudolf is widely known in my country the challenge is to embed his fate into a wider context.
Opening of exhibition on 29th October
The exhibition will open on 29th of October at the National Museum in Yaoundé. The Cameroonian Ministry of Culture and the German Ministry of Foreign Office are both involved. It’s going to be a big event. We hope that government representatives will attend. We need political authorities to be involved since memory work takes place on two levels. Firstly, civil society must address the trauma hidden in the unknown past and gain full knowledge of historical events in the respective areas. At the second level, political representatives are needed to anchor memory work structurally and foster remembrance of colonial legacies.
Including contemporary art
Another partner for the exhibition is the Goethe Institute in Cameroon. However, the overall lead is in the hands of my organization, Doual’art. The exhibition will feature some objects presently held by German museums that were included in the Hamburg show. Germany’s Foreign Office has provided substantial funding. However, due to financial constraints we could not transfer all of the objects from the Hamburg exhibition. In addition, objects directly sourced from Cameroonian regions will also be shown. It is also very important to me that the exhibition includes contemporary art in order to create spaces for reflection and imagination. The exhibition is designed by three co-curators, two francophone and one anglophone. One of them is linked to the Berlin art centre „Savvy Contemporary„. To bring in further diaspora perspectives, a second curator was chosen who presently lives in Morocco. The third one is a lady from the anglophone part of Cameroon.
Title a fairy tale?
Some have criticized that the title of the exhibition sounds like a fairy tale, and does not acknowledge the horrors of colonial subjugation and violence. I have made this decision because I want the exhibition to act as a non-confrontational invitation to address the historical truth by showing traces such as objects and archives from this era linked to all parts of Cameroon.
Three-day symposium from 28th to 30th October
The opening of the exhibition on 29th of October is part of a three-day symposium from 28th to 30th October. This has three main thematic fields. First is the rewriting of history which will bring together researchers from Germany and Cameroon. We are particularly interested in new findings from the Cameroonian side. The second part focuses on restitution of colonial loot. Lots of information here has already been provided by the work of Prof Albert Gouaffo (University of Dschang) and Prof Bénédicte Savoy (Technical University Berlin). And Cameroon’s government has set up an Interministerial Commission on restitution. This shows a lot is happening at the political and academic levels. I would like to open a discussion at the symposium on hosting the objects after their return to Cameroon. When you speak to youth they do not know what to make of this whole thing and they are not really interested.
Taking care of objects after return
Therefore, we have to foster a debate in the communities, in civil society on how to appropriate the full significance of the cultural heritage once it is returned from abroad. This needs to be done with a focus on the future by creating unifying myths for the nation, based on the idea of unity in diversity. How can the returned objects become part of a new narrative for the country in the 21st century? In a similar way, Rudolf Duala Manga Bell has already become a myth. Societies need such myths for social coherence. It’s an ambitious agenda, but let’s dream.
Fictionalization of history
The third part of the symposium addresses the role of contemporary art, including poetry and story telling. We need the fictionalization of history to remember over long periods of time. Otherwise events are forgotten, knowledge is lost. Fiction is able to fill empty spaces, open imaginaries and become part of our humanity. Such creative work is usually not included in serious discussions about history and restitution, but it can play a decisive role in identity building and remembrance.
Strengthen dissemination
How can we work together to spread the news about your activities in Germany and, in general, expand the mutual exchange on memory work between Cameroon and Germany?
This is an important task for us. We are looking at ways to strengthen our dissemination efforts and work on better sharing the information with Germany.
Rehabilitation of Rudolf Duala Manga Bell
What is the response of your family and you personally to the statement of State Minister Katja Keul of Germany’s Foreign Office on 8th August of this year on the rehabilitation of Rudolf Duala Manga Bell and others who were hanged 110 years ago?
There is a lot of discussion in my family about the meaning of the German statement. What does it really mean in terms of rehabilitation and reparation? The actual King, my brother, is happy. I am also happy but my point is that the announcement for political rehabilitation has no impact on the relationship between the two governments. It also has no impact on the German society. The people in Cameroon who fought for rehabilitation had expected a different way of addressing the judicial murder. Rehabilitation should come in the form of a catharsis. It must be linked to an event which is meaningful at the political level and for the society as a whole. Certainly, Cameroon’s government needs to play a key role in this. Perhaps the opening of our exhibition could provide the space for a dignified event on rehabilitation. We are happy that State Minister Katja Keul has agreed to speak at the opening of the exhibition and also participate in the symposium. Germany is an important partner to strengthen our memory work.
Could there be further helpful steps by Germany’s government?
No genuine discussion with German side
First of all, the fight has to be done in Cameroon. But we must also realize that we did not have a genuine discussion with the German side so far. Now Cameroon has to call on Germany to address the pain and trauma of colonial rule. I am saying this not as a family representative but as someone engaged in memory work for the whole society of Cameroon. Rudolf Duala Manga Bell is a public figure. Germany and Cameroon have to create a process of rehabilitation which gives full justice to the entangled history of our two societies.