In this episode of the UCG International Politics podcast, “Herero and Nama: Investigating Justice for the Forgotten Genocide”, we take a closer look at the genocide of the Herero and Nama. Host and historian Neele Lange explores genocide and Germany's “Erinnerungskultur” through interviews with international lawyer Mira Lynar and memory studies expert Mia von Vacano.

Between 1904 and 1908, German soldiers in German South West Africa, now Namibia, killed over 80% of the Herero population and 50% of the Nama population. The 2021 Joint Declaration between Germany and Namibia raises new questions: How should Germany deal with its colonial past? Are the measures taken appropriate?

Together, the experts discuss Germany’s recognition of the Herero and Nama genocide, the Joint Declaration with Namibia, and its legal and political implications. Further, they also investigate how the genocide is remembered, particularly in comparison to the Holocaust. Finally, the episode explores whether the landscape of remembrance and reparation is truly changing or whether history is still being ignored.

* Episodes of the UCG International Politics podcast are course assignments prepared by the students at the University College Groningen. The characters assumed by the students in the episodes are entirely fictional.