The Evidence on the Table

Why can’t we give them back? Episode two of Dig Where You Stand examines one of the darkest chapters of German colonial history: The genocide of the Herero and Nama peoples in German South West Africa. In 2011, Germany finally returned 20 skulls from its collection of stolen ancestral remains held at Charité hospital - and the result was a diplomatic scandal. This episode is about the politics behind repatriations, and the symbolic power these ancestors still hold.

Content warning: There are some disturbing descriptions and violent scenes discussed in this episode.

Timecodes:

• Zablon and Sindato Kiwelu visit the skull of Akida Kiwelu: 00:00 - 03:04
• Intro: 03:05 - 04:27
• 2011 Restitution Ceremony: 04:30 - 08:30
• German South West Africa and the Genocide: 08:31 - 27:18
• The evidence on the table: 27:31 - 40:17
• Why can’t we give them back? Bernhard Heeb, curator of the Museum of Pre- and Early History: 40:18 - 48:40
• Outro: 48:49 - 49:37

Some links and further reading:

• The Charité Human Remains Project
• An interview with Israel Kaunatjike at Berlin Postkolonial (German)
• Nandi Mazeingo is Chairperson of the Ovaherero Genocide Foundation
• Extra footage of the Charité event and the return to Hosea Kutako airport provided by Larissa Förster, private archive. Her article, "The Face of Genocide" can be found in The Routledge Companion to Indigenous Repatriation - Return, Reconcile, Renew
• "Skulls and Skeletons from Namibia in Berlin" an article by Holger Stocker and Andreas Winkelmann (ResearchGate)

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DWYS is created by Ben Schuman-Stoler and Peter Matthews. It’s produced by Kollo Media in partnership with The Berliner magazine. Episode 2 was produced by Ben Schuman-Stoler, Peter Matthews, and Rowan Ben Jackson. Mix and sound by Rowan Ben Jackson. Check out his website and work. Follow Kollo Media and The Berliner on Instagram @kollomedia and @theberlinermag. Thanks to Israel Kaunatjike, Nandi Mazeingo, Larissa Förster, Holger Stöcker, Zablon and Sindato Kiwelu, Konradin Kunze, and everyone else that we spoke to for this episode. Thanks to Laurens von Oswald for the music. Natalia Piana made the album cover.

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