by Lara Massó
This podcast thematises the looted art of Benin.The land of the Kingdom of Benin was subsumed into present-day Nigeria – a nation whose borders were drawn by colonial powers rather than by African political realities. Even though Benin was made a British colony, it has been closely intertwined with German colonial history. The podcast explores the history of the Benin Bronzes, then delves into their looting during the colonialism, and finally examines the ongoing efforts to enable their rightful return home.The Benin Bronzes were looted and dispersed across the world – though predominantly to Europe. An estimated 10,000 Benin artefacts exist, of which around 5,000 are listed in registers; some 1,300 of these are registered in Germany alone. Only 400 artefacts remain in Nigeria.
Category: Neocolonialism
Vera Chirwa
by Marlena Höhle
This German-language learning material was composed to teach high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate students about Malawian 94 years old civil rights activist Vera Mlangazua Chirwa, and is based on her autobiography ‘Vera Chirwa – Fearless Fighter’. Excerpt from the book: “Angered by the institutional racism and discrimination in the country, Vera and Orton fought for independence and were founding members of the Malawi Congress Party in 1959. Vera became a leading figure in the League of Malawi Women and continued her education and training to become Malawi’s first female lawyer, whilst looking after the couple’s children. When the country gained independence in 1961, Orton Chirwa was minister of justice in the new government. In the early years of independence, however, factions emerged around the president and the Chirwas suffered years of exile and detention without trial. Following her release from prison in 1993, as a result of major international campaigns and shortly after Orton’s death in custody under suspicious circumstances, Vera Chirwa became a leading voice campaigning for human rights and civil society in Africa.”
Women’s Struggle in Biafra: The Nigerian Civil War as a Direct Consequence of Colonialism
by Carolin Felden. Main Article in German language.
Between 1967 and 1970, Nigeria was engulfed in a devastating war between the Nigerian government and the secessionist Republic of Biafra. The war concluded nearly three years later with Nigeria’s victory, yet it left in its wake a staggering toll of over two million lives lost. Notably, the role of women in the Biafran struggle was multifaceted; they emerged as warriors, scholars, farmers, and providers, playing a crucial role in sustaining the republic during its tumultuous existence. While commonly referred to as the “Nigerian Civil War,” this article contends that such terminology inadequately captures the war’s broader context. The legacy of British colonialism in Nigeria (1914-1961) is posited as a significant factor contributing to the war’s outbreak (cf. Richardson 2019: 79). Consequently, this article seeks to elucidate that the Biafran quest for independence was not merely a confrontation with the Nigerian government but rather a profound struggle against neocolonial foreign domination. Special emphasis will be placed on the indispensable contributions of Biafran women to this cause.
Glossary of the Institutionalized Regime of Underdevelopment
by Lisanna Kelz, Aikaterini Mouzaki, Zanê Aradine and Isabel Pearce
A Glossary narrating the Institutionalized Regime of Underdevelopment: A critical reflection of the market-oriented international order, reproducing neocolonial exploitation patterns. The glossary is divided into three sections: Institutions; Country Groupings, Unions and Organizations; and Terms of Economic and Financial Governance…
The Border Regime
by Lisanna Solara Kelz
The author about the Border Regime project: “The intent of this project is to approach the Border Regime in a rather non-scientific way and show how the Border operates, functions, works and is reproduced every day. Therefore, I try to give an overview and insight on the different ways the border appears in and beyond our daily live, within our state and beyond its official borders. I chose Prezi as a design where everyone can look at the topics they are interested in and chose the order in which they want to explore them…”