Black Resistance and global Anti-Colonialism in Berlin, 1919-1933
Berlin became a post-colonial metropolis in a largely colonial world: Migrants from former African colonies – which Germany had to renounce – remained in the city. Berlin attracted actors from African, Asian, and Arabic regions. They came from various colonial contexts and became politically active. They formed anti-colonial alliances, demanded independence for their countries of origin, and resisted against racism.
Image gallery
KEY VISUAL Show solidarity!
The anti-colonial Berlin was determined, revolutionary, and fleeting.
It emerged from the many lives that crossed paths here. The individual motives, circumstances, and time spent in the city differed, yet they brought forth moments of solidarity. The Communist International (Comintern) played an important part in this as a shared political language, resource, and rallying point.
The anti-colonial Berlin unfolded in the political forcefield of the Weimar Republic, during the end of the monarchy and colonial rule, the ascent of communist internationalism and the rise of the National Socialists. It caused frictions and was anchored in everyday urban life, but at the same time its effect as a global movement reached far beyond the city.
This decolonial moment in Berlin’s history is retraced in this cooperative exhibit of Dekoloniale Memory Culture in the City and the Charlottenburg Wilmersdorf Museum.
In line with Dekoloniale’s aims and position, there is a special focus on the actors from former German colonies in Africa as well as on the history of Black movements.
- This exhibition is funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion – District Cultural Fund, as well as the Federal Cultural Foundation.
