Thursday, March 20 2025, 4 - 6pm MLC 350 German-African Encounters: Postcolonial Exploitation, Examination, and Exchange in German-Language Comics Germany once controlled colonies in Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific, playing a key role in European settler colonialism. It hosted the 1884 Berlin Conference, fueling the "Scramble for Africa," and committed the 20th century's first genocide against the Herero and Nama in Namibia. Its suppression of the Maji Maji Rebellion in Tanzania led to 300,000 deaths. Despite limited public awareness, Africa has long been depicted in German visual culture through exoticism, racism, and fear. This talk explores the evolution of these portrayals in comics and graphic novels, examining both persistent stereotypes and recent efforts to confront Germany's colonial past. Sterling Guest Talk Flyer (883.51 KB)
