War Memorials

A prominent statue called Marine Denkmal in the town of Swakopmund, Namibia depicts a German soldier with a rifle, guarding a fallen fellow soldier. Despite surviving through the end of German Colonization, South African occupation, and Namibian independence, the statue drew intense criticism last January. Protesters poured red paint on the statue to express their outrage at the commemoration of genocide for the glory of the perpetrators. 

Marine Denkmal, erected by the Germans in 1908

Seven years ago, the Reiterdenkmal, an equestrian statue overlooking Windhoek, was removed despite being the most prominent statue of the Colonial era. The statue symbolized the forces that maintained German rule through rebellion.

Debate about removing the statue centers around its value for historical tourism, narratives by political parties like SWAPO about Namibian liberation, and cultural values of the statues. Germany has admitted to some aspects of the genocide but is still in talks with Namibia to facilitate reconcilian between the people.

This ongoing issue parallels similar calls to remove civil war era statues in the US. As time passes, the debate might change to incorporate new reparations efforts and perspectives on historical narratives.

Hayden

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/21/world/africa/namibia-germany-colonial.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FNamibia