Colonial Monument Removed in Windhoek!

[Mortymoose]

Meanwhile north of the border, the SWAPO gov waited till the middle of the night on Christmas Eve to remove a monument from the middle of the capital....




"The Reiterdenkmal, the bronze statue of a German cavalryman overlooking Windhoek, was moved from in front of the Alte Feste on Christmas night. Media and residents could not get access to the site yesterday (25 December) as all roads to it were cordoned off. The statue was inaugurated on 27 January 1912, and erected in honour of German soldiers and civilians who died in the 1904-1908 Namibian genocide on the birthday of Kaiser Willhelm II. On 26 August President Hifikepunye Pohamba said, "this monument is a symbol of victory on the side of the Germans. This monument means ‘we have defeated them’. The horse rider must be removed."

 

[Alan]

Considering the atrocities committed by the German colonialists Im surprised it took so long to come down

 

[Mortymoose]

Considering the atrocities committed by the German colonialists Im surprised it took so long to come down

True, however there is a train of thought up here, that the monument should stand to serve as a reminder of those atrocities.... you cannot dissolve the past by removing statues......

 

[The_Unbeliever]

True, however there is a train of thought up here, that the monument should stand to serve as a reminder of those atrocities.... you cannot dissolve the past by removing statues......

Agreed. History is history. Rather keep the statue as a reminder of what happened - and why.

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

 

[supersunbird]

http://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/g_namibia1.html

 

[crackersa]

Agreed. History is history. Rather keep the statue as a reminder of what happened - and why.

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.

yes, but the statue which is in a grandeur pose will remind them how? maybe a new statue should be erected to show the genocide.

 

[Fulcrum29]

In SA they will soon remove all Voortrekker monuments.

 

[SuperBru]

Drove past there earlier this week. The new look...

 

[Fulcrum29]

I am now interested in monument history in the southern parts on this continent, cultural representative monuments. We have so many threads here on MyBB entailing change, latest with the Victoria Falls… how long will the David Livingstone memorial last?
I can already see in proposed “examples” where monuments related to colonial history will be removed.

Then we have:
http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/now-shaka-statue-must-go-1.485897#.UsFhBrT4KSo

Which is ongoing:
http://www.news24.com/Travel/South-Africa/King-Shaka-statue-still-causing-trouble-20130823

When I take the OP article in regard with why the German statue was removed, how will the Xhosa’s and Sotho’s stance be on the Shaka statue or is this not historical oppression?

 

[Nick333]

yes, but the statue which is in a grandeur pose will remind them how? maybe a new statue should be erected to show the genocide.

Words out of my mouth.

 

[Nick333]

I think before this turns into another bun fight, let's consider that given the history that statue commemorates that it's continued existence is analogous to a statue of a proud SS storm trooper being tolerated in Jerusalem.

 

[Garson007]

Good on them. A monument celebrating genocide shouldn't stand erect.

 

[Solarion]

In SA they will soon remove all Voortrekker monuments.

That will be an interesting day, not a clever one at all.

 

[Fulcrum29]

I think before this turns into another bun fight, let's consider that given the history that statue commemorates that it's continued existence is analogous to a statue of a proud SS storm trooper being tolerated in Jerusalem.

Yep, but in my honest opinion I’m not pro The Reiterdenkmal, it is only but change and as Mortymoose stated. Then one independence above another…

 

[Fulcrum29]

That will be an interesting day, not a clever one at all.

I am saying this in relation with another thread in regard with the Pretoria renaming. When this debacle started, the ANC made the Voortrekker monument a heritage site, remember that the Voortrekker monument is privately owned IIRC. Pretoria and the Voortrekker monument are intertwined when it comes to history.

On the other hand what little people know is how the Taalmonument is representative so it is truth multicultural and not a boer-monument:

• Clear West - the European heritage of the language
• Magical Africa - the African influences on the language
• Bridge - between Europe and Africa
• Afrikaans - the language itself
• Republic - declared in 1961
• Malay language and culture

 

[Arthur]

a new statue should be erected to show the genocide.

I hope not. We need less celebrations of victimhood and more of bravery.

 

[Garson007]

I don't see how the Taal or Voortrekker monuments have anything to do with this. Neither of them are about genocide.

 

[Fulcrum29]

I don't see how the Taal or Voortrekker monuments have anything to do with this. Neither of them are about genocide.

On this continent, genocide and European colonialism moves hand in hand, which is coupled with imperialism, identity and mass violence. There are so many [opinion] articles on this topic going around by certain Forumnites here on MyBB.

 

[Garson007]

On this continent, genocide and European colonialism moves hand in hand, which is coupled with imperialism, identity and mass violence. There are so many [opinion] articles on this topic going around by certain Forumnites here on MyBB.

Neither of them have to do with colonialism either. Taal is about building identity and Voortrekker is about nomads resettling - against the wishes of Europe.

 

[Nick333]

On this continent, genocide and European colonialism moves hand in hand, which is coupled with imperialism, identity and mass violence. There are so many [opinion] articles on this topic going around by certain Forumnites here on MyBB.

What genocide are the Boers guilty of perpetrating?