Dekoloniale Memory Culture in the City
From 2020 to 2024, the ‘Dekoloniale’ project will carry out a programme of research, exhibitions and events on the subject of colonialism and the post-colonial present, supported by civil society organisations and cultural institutions in the state of Berlin. Using the example of Berlin – the administrative and economic centre of Wilhelmine imperial policy – it shows which traces and inscriptions of colonialism remain in the urban space into the 21st century.
The model project was initiated by Berlin Postkolonial e.V., the Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag (BER) e.V., Each One Teach One (EOTO) e.V., the Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD) e.V. and the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion (then: Senate Department for Culture and Europe). The Berlin City Museum Foundation was won as a co-operation partner. The project is thus largely supported by actors who have been committed to Berlin’s critical examination of colonialism for years.
With exhibitions, events and an annual festival in various city districts, “Dekoloniale” sheds light on local colonial history and deals with the problematic after-effects of this history right up to the present day.
Dekoloniale – what remains?!
Programme
Participants in the project network
Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD) e.V.
The ISD represents the interests of Black people in society and politics. The initiative is represented by local groups in numerous cities and is represented nationwide by the ISD-Bund. Recognising that discrimination based on various ascribed characteristics such as racialisation, gender, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, residence status and age is intertwined in complex ways, the ISD is committed to empowering Black people to use the potential of their different origins and backgrounds and to position themselves in society in a self-determined way.
Each One Teach One (EOTO) e. V.
Each One Teach One (EOTO) has been campaigning for the social empowerment and interests of people of African origin in Germany since 2014. The association helps to increase the visibility and political participation of African and Afro-diasporic people through cultural events, its own “neighbourhood library”, youth work and counselling, among other things. Since July 2017, the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth has been funding EOTO as a provider for racism prevention and empowerment of black people in the federal “Live Democracy!” programme.
Berlin Postkolonial e.V.
Since 2007, Berlin Postkolonial has been committed to a comprehensive examination of Berlin’s colonial history in the form of city tours, seminars, publications, exhibitions, political counselling, press work and social media. Important fields of work of the association are the decolonisation of public space, for example by renaming streets, honouring the victims and opponents of the enslavement trade and colonialism as well as the restitution of objects from colonial contexts.
BER e.V.
The Berliner Entwicklungspolitischer Ratschlag (BER) e.V. is a network of more than 110 groups and organisations active in development policy. BER offers a platform for exchange and qualifies full-time and voluntary workers for their development policy work through seminars and counselling sessions.