Namibia and Germany - New Ethics of Cooperation
How can museums address colonial histories while establishing new ethical principles of cooperation? This project examines German-Namibian cultural relations from both perspectives in an attempt to answer this question.
Restitution addresses the question of a new ethic of cooperation and, in some cases, is also linked to the question of reparation. The genocide committed against the OvaHerero and Nama is one of the most violent chapters of German colonial history and has left deep traces in the MARKK's African and photographic collections, as well as in contemporary Namibian society. These traces are evident in the provenance and visual narratives of many artefacts and photographs acquired during the colonial period. They continue to shape debates around historical responsibility, memory and restitution, as well as informing the future of museums' collaborations with source communities. The project comprises a series of workshops in Hamburg (MARKK), Stuttgart (Linden Museum) and Namibia, as well as the production of a video podcast in Hamburg and Namibia featuring Buhle Ndhlovu and other collaborators. Additionally, a small pop-up exhibition, a site-specific performance, and a publication workbook will be developed to serve as a project archive and to guide further collaboration between Germany and Namibia.
Project Team
Alumni
- Gabriel Schimmeroth | Project co-lead, research, funding administration, communication with project partners
- Pauline Buhlebenkosi Ndhlovu | Project co-lead, research, podcast production, workshop oversight and coordination
Cooperation Partners
- Oussounou Abdel-Aziz Sandja | Lead provenance and collection research
- Markus Himmelsbach | Host archive workshop at Linden Museum
- Nashilongweshipwe Mushaandja | Performance programme
Partner Museums and Involved Institutions
- Museum am Rothenbaum (MARKK) | Hamburg, Germany
- Namibian Arts Association | Windhoek, Namibia
- Linden Museum | Stuttgart, Germany
From Connection to Collaboration
By focusing on the ethics of collaboration the project strengthens long-term networks between Hamburg and Namibian institutions, researchers, artists, and communities. It increases the visibility of Namibian perspectives within German public discourse and fosters an ongoing, transcontinental dialogue. Collaboration with Namibian partners, diaspora communities in Germany creates sustainable, transdisciplinary structures that support joint knowledge production and shared ethical reflection. The project is grounded in an interdisciplinary approach that brings together artists, researchers, and museum professionals. In doing so, it not only contributes to the development of new ethics of cooperation, but also advances innovative forms of knowledge production that are essential to contemporary museum practice. These qualities make the project a valuable addition to the MLab Fellowship Programme, which seeks to promote collaborative, practice-based research and foster critical engagement with museum collections, colonial histories, and global partnerships. Furthermore, open workshops in Hamburg, Stuttgart and Namibia, will offer space for discussion of archival practices and methodological approaches. This format will serve as a key platform for exchange between fellows, museum staff, and external partners but also the public broadening the programme’s collaborative reach.
The initiative TheMuseumsLab CollabFund is funded by the Kulturstiftung des Bundes (German Federal Cultural Foundation).
