Widely considered to be the first genocide of the twentieth century, the genocide of the Herero and Nama people in present-day Namibia is steeped in German colonial policy. Over a four year period, as many as 100,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama were killed by German colonial officials, coordinated by Luthar von Trotha. Germany’s colonial ambitions mirrored many European perspectives of colonialism in Africa in that period and are rooted in racism and white supremacy. It was not until 2021 that the German government recognized the atrocities committed against the Herero and Nama as genocide. It pledged €1.1 billion to aid communities impacted by the violence. This was the culmination of decades of advocacy work done by Herero and Nama groups to raise awareness of the genocide.

History often focuses on the perspectives of the perpetrators. Our oral testimony project does not seek to retell the history of the genocide, but instead to amplify the voice of people who’s histories and lives have been shaped by it. This project will showcase the perspectives of the Herero and Nama people.

Participants should expect to spend 30 to 40 minutes responding to questions. These responses will be used to create a public database of Herero and Nama voices, and for the development of teaching materials in Namibia, the United States, and Germany.

Click here to explore the questions in this project.

Click here to view instructions for providing testimony through a computer and here for providing testimony through a mobile device.

Click here to begin the process of submitting a testimony. This will direct you to a consent form. From there, you will be linked to the testimony collection page.
Submitting a consent form is a requirement for participation.

This project is an international partnership with institutions from Namibia, Germany, and the United States, including Hitambo Virtual Academy and the OvaHerero People’s Memorial and Reconstruction Foundation.