The Hereros were a group of individuals residing in present-day Namibia. They were governed by independent chiefs and had a decentralized tribal government, while their extended families and cattle herds were scattered over a large area. In 1884, Germany entered Africa, establishing a protectorate over a vast desert hinterland using the private land claims of Adolf Luderitz, a businessman. This marked Germany’s initial colonization of an African territory, known as South West Africa. Initially, the first German treaties did not involve the Herero people as they resided far inland from the Atlantic Ocean.
Chief Kamaherero made a worthless agreement with the British, who did not fulfill its terms. However, the Herero negotiated treaties of protection (Schutzvertrage) in Okahandja and Omaruru in October 1885. By 1904, Namibia had become a German colony known as Deutsch-Sudwestafrika, or German Southwest Africa. The German colonization was harsh, leading to a rebellion in 1904. The Herero tribe, led by Samuel Maharero, revolted against their German colonial ruler due to dissatisfaction with German expansion and colonialism.
Samuel Maharero was a significant warrior and cattle raider for the Herero tribe. He collaborated with other chiefs to plan a revolt against the German colonial authorities and white German settlers. The uprising in Okhandja started on January 12, 1904, resulting in the successful killing of several German farmer families by the Herero people. Maharero successfully led some of his people to the British Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana). He maintained leadership over the exiled Herero and became a valuable ally to Sekgathole a Letsholathebe, a chief in northern Bechuanaland.
Samuel Maharero, who died in 1923, is still recognized as one of Namibia’s nine national heroes. These heroes were acknowledged during the establishment of Heroes’ Acre near Windhoek. The Herero Genocide occurred between 1904 and 1907 in what is now known as Namibia, which was German South-West Africa during that time. This genocide was a part of the scramble for Africa. The Herero War stands out as an act of genocide due to its clearly stated military strategy aimed at annihilating the Herero nation by eliminating all its members. The rebellion swiftly spread across the entire Herero region and Damaraland.
In their efforts, they successfully killed 123 white men and caused destruction to rail tracks, telephone connections, German buildings, and farmer facilities. In August, when the German protection troops fought back, General Lothar von Trotha issued the order to annihilate the Herero population. The Herero were eventually defeated in the Battle of Waterberg due to the superior weaponry possessed by the German army. As a punitive measure, the Herero people were forced into the arid desert of Omaheke where access to water sources was limited and there are claims that the German colonial army deliberately poisoned these sources.
Most of the Herero people perished in the desert due to thirst. The Nama people, who revolted against the Germans in October, suffered a similar fate. Approximately 60,000 out of the 80,000 Herero, accounting for about 80% of their population, died primarily from starvation or thirst. Those Herero who escaped the violence were not able to return from the Namib Desert because any Herero entering ‘German’ territory would be instantly shot, even if they were unarmed. The Herero chief, Samuel Maherero, expressed in 1904 that the Germans’ cruelty and injustice had driven his people to despair and made death seem less threatening given the current living conditions. Primary sources indicate that the Herero recognized their lack of weaponry and feared annihilation in battle if they were to rebel against German colonial rule.
On the 104th anniversary of the rebellion this month, Anna Rosenberg traces native resistance to German rule in South West Africa (now Namibia). – Samuel Maharero in Namibia: ‘Let’s Die Fighting Rather Than Die of Maltreatment’ * This quote is an excerpt from a book, in which Samuel Maharero, leader of the Herero tribe, expresses his frustration by writing it down before the rebellion in 1904. During that period, he was still developing his plans for the rebellion and becoming increasingly frustrated with the maltreatment of his people and the Germans’ colonization of his country. The living conditions of the Herero were so severe that he had already contemplated dying, regardless of the circumstances. It appears that he has no fear of death.
Despite knowing that his people lacked advanced weaponry compared to the Germans and that their chances of victory were slim, he was willing to take the risk. He believed that dying while fighting a hopeless cause was more preferable than suffering from maltreatment. His fear was that the Germans would exterminate the Herero population and completely take over Namibia, leaving no other choice but to engage in battle. “I witnessed the defeat of the Herero near Waterberg. After the battle, any Herero individuals, including men, women, and children, who fell into German captivity, whether wounded or not, were ruthlessly killed.”
Then the Germans pursued and killed all those they found by the wayside and in the Sandveld [Omaheke desert], shooting them down and bayoneting them to death. The majority of Herero men were unarmed and therefore unable to resist. Their only intention was to escape with their cattle. ” – Jan Cloete * This quote is from Jan Cloete, who witnessed the atrocities committed by the German troops while guiding them. He provided this statement after the Battle of Waterberg, which took place on August 11-12, 1904.
The text describes the actions of the German forces in preventing groups of Herero from separating from the main fleeing force and pushing them deeper into the desert. As the exhausted Herero individuals became unable to continue, German soldiers were instructed to kill every single one of them, including men, women, and children. Cloete, who served as a guide for the Germans, expresses a strong dislike for their treatment of the Herero people and feels sympathetic towards their innocent intentions and the gruesome manner in which they were slaughtered.
The maltreatment of the Herero by the Germans intensified their hatred of the Germans, leading to subsequent acts of rebellion. The author of the picture depicting survivors who returned home in 1905 is unknown. The emaciation of the survivors is evident from their protruding ribs, indicating severe starvation and vulnerability.
These are the types of harsh conditions the Herero people had to endure due to the actions of the Germans. The German forces deliberately isolated them in arid desert areas with no access to water or food sources, resulting in only a small group managing to survive. Such acts of mistreatment fueled the Herero’s increasing animosity towards the inhumane actions of the Germans, leading to further rebellions. Secondary sources state that German soldiers and settlers engaged in a policy of genocide by actively seeking out, shooting, beating, hanging, starving, and raping Herero men, women, and children.
By the end of 1904, the war had expanded to southern Namibia, where it affected the Nama people of GSWA. The devastating conflict resulted in the death of approximately 80% of the Herero population and at least 50% of the Nama people. Those Herero who were fortunate enough to survive, consisting mostly of women and children, were placed in concentration camps and forced to work on various projects under state, military, and civilian authorities. Ultimately, the war and its aftermath were marked by a disturbing level of violence and brutality perpetrated by German soldiers and settlers.
The excerpt from Jan-Bart Gewald’s book highlights the constant violence and mistreatment endured by the Herero people. Diaries, letters, and photographs from that time document numerous indiscriminate acts of shootings, hangings, and beatings. Missionary Elger, stationed in the settlement of Karibib along the railway line to Windhoek, wrote in his diary about the pervasive violence, stating that all he heard was “aufraumen aufhangen niederknallen bis auf den letzten Mann, Kein Pardon” (clean-up hang-up shoot-down till the last man, no pardon). This excerpt sheds light on how the Herero were targeted and subjected to being shot, beaten, hanged, starved, and raped following their defeats in 1904. Jan Bart further elaborates on the maltreatment and daily abuse the Herero endured. The surviving Herero were forced into labor camps, while the rest were mercilessly killed. These accounts provide further evidence of the treatment inflicted upon the Herero and the underlying causes behind their rebellion.
There are numerous causes and consequences of the Herero Wars, and the Herero people are still grappling with these consequences today following the departure of German tribes. In 1904, amidst the scramble for Africa, multiple European countries arrived in the holy land to assert their ownership of the land. Africa’s fertile land was highly coveted due to its potential for abundant agricultural production. The primary motive behind the German people’s presence in Africa was to acquire land, cultivate goods, and export them back to their homeland.
Under German colonial rule, the Africans were exploited as slaves, forced to work tirelessly with no compensation. The Herero people specifically became slave laborers, as the Germans seized their lands and handed them over to colonists. These colonists were then incentivized to settle on the stolen land, resulting in significant resentment among the Herero community. The war primarily arose from the mistreatment inflicted upon the Herero people when the German tribes, under the leadership of General Lothar, arrived in Africa and seized their lands.
The Germans destroyed the houses of the Herero people and took everything that they deemed useful. They employed the Herero as an inexpensive labor force and reduced them to slavery. The Herero were paid meager wages, denied food, and left to starve. Many Herero women were raped by the Germans and needless killings of men, women, and children occurred frequently. The Germans actively pursued, shot, beat, and hanged the Herero without facing consequences. Additionally, they slaughtered or confiscated their cattle herds.
The death of the Herero people was caused by the loss of their cattle, which was vital for their survival. Over the course of two years, approximately 24,000 Herero individuals perished. The rebellion against German colonial rule took place in January 1904, resulting in the Herero being forced into Omaheke desert, where they faced certain death. Many succumbed to starvation and thirst while confined to the desert, and all were denied the opportunity to reclaim their once-owned land. Furthermore, the Germans intentionally contaminated the limited water sources with poison in an attempt to annihilate the entire Herero population.
General Trotha openly stated his goal to eliminate the resistance of the Herero people, expressing his belief that they should be annihilated or expelled from the country. He believed that by occupying the water-holes from Grootfontein to Gobabis, his troops could continuously move and gradually destroy any small groups of Herero people who had moved backwards. This led to numerous consequences.
The survivors, primarily women and children, were placed in concentration camps after enduring the horrific ordeal. Shark Island housed one of these camps. German authorities assigned a unique number to each Herero individual and meticulously documented all deaths, whether they occurred in the camps or as a consequence of forced labor. It has been alleged that the Germans even leased Herero people to exploit their labor. The deaths of these laborers were permitted, and their demises were reported to the German authorities. As a result of malnutrition, disease, and arduous forced labor, an estimated 50-80% of the entire Herero population had perished by 1908, which marked the closure of the camps.
German scientists, such as Eugen Fischer, conducted medical experiments on the race in concentration camps. They utilized Herero children, men, and prisoners for these tests, which involved sterilization and the injection of diseases like smallpox, typhus, and tuberculosis. Fischer concluded that “inferior races” existed, stating that anyone who ponders the concept of race will come to the same conclusion. It is asserted that Africa is the birthplace of the initial human species.
German anthropologists in the past stole skeletons and bodies from African graveyards, taking them to Europe for research or sale. Unfortunately, many of these remains have still not been returned to Africa. Historians have found a connection between the Herero wars and the holocaust in World War II. They believe that the genocide committed against the Herero people set a precedent for Nazi Germany’s establishment of concentration camps. The German experience in South West Africa served as a precursor to Nazi colonialism and genocide, which occurred three decades later. Personal connections, literature, and public debates served as conduits for the transfer of genocidal ideas and methods from the colony to Germany. The Herero Genocide even inspired Hitler in his war against the Jews. Additionally, Eugen Fischer’s medical experiments can be seen as a trial run for later medical procedures used during the Nazi Holocaust.
Fischer, who would later become chancellor of the University of Berlin, taught medicine to Nazi physicians. One of his notable students was Josef Mengele, the doctor who conducted genetic experiments on Jewish children in concentration camps. Franz Ritter von Epp, who served as governor of Bavaria and orchestrated the extermination of Bavarian Jews and Roma, also participated in the Herero genocide. Moreover, there are similarities between the goals of the General and the Nazis. Both ideologies embraced Social Darwinism, which entailed “cleansing” in order for something new to emerge.
After the concentration camps, the surviving Herero people were distributed as laborers for German colonists. From that time on, every Herero man or woman over the age of seven were compelled to wear a metal disc with their labor registration number. In 1908, the German colonial fully regained control of the territory and their troops became involved in conflict. Additionally, many German soldiers were employed in maintenance and administration tasks. The war resulted in the death, disappearance, or disease-related deaths of approximately 676 German soldiers.
During the onset of World War I in 1915, German troops were involved and the German colony in South-West Africa was seized and occupied by the Union of South Africa on behalf of the British Imperial Government. Following the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, South Africa also received a League of Nations Mandate over the territory. In 1985, the Whitaker Report by the United Nations classified the events as an effort to eradicate the Herero and Nama people of South-West Africa, making it one of the earliest instances of genocide in the 20th century.
The German government acknowledged and apologized in 2004 for the events that occurred. Financial compensation for the descendants of the victims was ruled out. In 1998, the German President visited Namibia and met with Herero leaders. Chief Munjuku Nguvauva welcomed him and requested a public apology and compensation. The German President issued a brief apology, emphasizing that special reparations would not be funded. In 2001, the Hereros initiated a lawsuit against the German government and Deutsche Bank, which had financed German government and companies in Southern Africa, seeking reparations.
On the 100th anniversary in 2001, the Minister for Economic Development and Cooperation of Germany officially apologized and expressed grief, stating, “We Germans accept our historical and moral responsibility and the guilt incurred by Germans at that time.” In October 2007, the von Trotha family, by invitation of the royal Herero chiefs, publicly apologized for the actions of their relative during a visit to Omaruru. They expressed deep shame for the terrible events that occurred 100 years ago, where human rights were gravely violated. However, the German government did not return any of the money. Currently, many Herero people continue to live in poverty and work on land owned by white individuals.
Sources:
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_and_Namaqua_Genocide](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herero_and_Namaqua_Genocide)
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Maharero](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Maharero)
* [http://namib.info/namibia/uk/history/herero_nama_rising/index.php](http://namib.info/namibia/uk/history/herero_nama_rising/index.php)
* [http://smileyandwest.ning.com/profiles/blogs/herero-and-namaqua-genocide](http://smileyandwest.ning.com/profiles/blogs/herero-and-namaqua-genocide)
* [http://hererowars.com/history_who_are_the_hereros.tml](http://hererowars.com/history_who_are_the_hereros.tml)
* [http://enotes.com/herero-reference/herero](http://enotes.com/herero-reference/herero)
Primary sources:
* [http://theredphoenix.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/herero_genocide1.jpeg](http://theredphoenix.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/herero_genocide1.jpeg)
* [http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=primary%20sources%20herero&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CFMQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.kirkwood.edu%2Fryost%2Fhist201%2FHolocaust%2Fnamibiaquotes.docx&ei=2pC-UOPDC_L74QT0_oDAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFYM4CXAxroDED9GDqGNFAnRpigZQ](http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=primary%20sources%20herero&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CFMQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffaculty.kirkwood.edu%2Fryost%2Fhist201%2FHolocaust%2Fnamibiaquotes.docx&ei=2pC-UOPDC_L74QT0_oDAAQ&usg=AFQjCNFYM4CXAxroDED9GDqGNFAnRpigZQ)
Secondary sources:
* [https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/4845/asc-1293873-014.pdf?sequence=1](https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/bitstream/handle/1887/4845/asc-1293873-014.pdf?sequence=1)
