In Cologne-Nippes’ “Afrikaviertel,” a decolonial memorial site is to be created that brings the neighborhood’s colonial past to light and invites a critical examination of it. This initiative, led by committed citizens, is dedicated to presenting the history of German colonialism in Africa in a nuanced way in public spaces and to highlighting colonial continuities that extend into the present day.
The street names in the “Afrikaviertel” were assigned in the 1930s as part of Nazi efforts to reclaim former German colonies. The planned memorial offers a new perspective on this colonial-era legacy: The focus is not on the former colonial rulers, but on the resistance of the colonized population and the victims of colonial violence.
The planned sculpture by Fabien Diffe Kamga commemorates Rudolf and Emily Duala Manga Bell from Cameroon, which was then part of the German Empire. Rudolf Manga Bell, chief of the Duala people, resisted German colonial rule and, in particular, the planned expropriation of the Duala people. Following a colonial trial, he was sentenced to death in 1914 for alleged high treason and executed.
The memorial is intended to commemorate Manga Bell’s resistance, shed light on the perspectives of those affected by colonialism, and encourage visitors to engage with the history of German colonialism and its consequences, which continue to this day.
Manoka is an island in Douala (Cameroon). The island is home to a former German prison dating back to the colonial era. Rudolf Duala Manga Bell was imprisoned there before his execution in 1914. The prison ruins still stand today as a testament to the brutal history of colonialism.
The plan is to create a scaled-down (approx. 1:30) and abstract representation of the ruins of the prison built by the Germans in Cameroon. The work will be made of concrete, stone, ceramic, and steel.
