The Equestrian Monument, more commonly known under its German original name Reiterdenkmal and the name Südwester Reiter (Rider of South West), was a monument in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It was inaugurated on 27 January 1912, the birthday of German emperor Wilhelm II. The monument honoured the soldiers and civilians that died on the German side of the Herero and Namaqua War of 1904–1907, a situation that caused controversy about its role in a democratic Namibia that has shed its colonial occupation and gained independence.
Reiterdenkmal in Windhoek before its relocation in 2009
The monument was unmounted in 2009 at its original location opposite the Christuskirche in central Windhoek, and in 2010 re-erected a few metres away in front of the Alte Feste. After public controversy did not cease it was removed altogether in 2013. The bronze statue is currently in storage in the courtyard of the Alte Feste.
Monument inscription in German. (Only the German losses are counted here.)
The Reiterdenkmal was financed privately and designed by Berlin sculptor Adolf Kürle. The equestrian statue is 4.5 metres (15 ft) tall and made from bronze. It was created in Berlin and shipped to German South West Africa in 1911. After its arrival in Swakopmund, it was transported by train to Windhoek.[1] The plinth is 5 metres (16 ft) tall and consists of approximately 180 granite rocks from Okahandja.[2] It has a plaque mounted on it that remembers the German soldiers and civilians that died in the Herero and Namaqua War of 1904–1907, as well as in the Kalahari Expedition in 1908. The translation of the inscription is:[3]
Remembering and honouring the brave German warriors that died for emperor and empire to save and protect this land during the Herero and Hottentot uprisings between 1903 and 1907, and during the Kalahari Expedition in 1908. Also remembering and honouring German citizens that died from the hands of the indigenous. Fallen, missing, died from accident, succumbed to their injuries or sickness: Of the Protection Force: 100 officers, 254 non-commissioned officers, 1180 soldiers, of the marine: 7 officers, 13 non-commissioned officers, 27 seamen. Killed during the uprising: 119 men, 4 women, 1 child.
German South West African Governor Theodor Seitz inaugurated the monument[4] on the 53rd birthday of German emperor Wilhelm II on 27 January 1912.[1]
Although the monument is unusual in that it displays a corporal on horseback, Namibian historian Andreas Vogt incorrectly claimed that nowhere else in the world is an ordinary soldier sculpted in that manner and that the honour of being displayed on a horse is only extended to "highest nobility like emperors, kings and princes".[5] German historian Joachim Zeller points out that traditionally equestrian statues symbolise imperial rule and power, and that this is how the function of the Reiterdenkmal has to be interpreted.[6]
Status
The monument was erected not only to remember the dead but also was intended to serve as symbol of victory and a claim to rightful possession of South West African land.[3] Elke Zuern, Professor of Politics at Sarah Lawrence College, writes:[7]
"Memorials and commemorations offer stylized presentations of the past. [...] They can also have profound political meaning by visibly presenting victor’s justice and offering a warning to those who might continue to resist. The Equestrian Monument in Windhoek served exactly this function. Standing next to the German colonial fort and on the site of a wartime concentration camp, it was erected by the German colonial masters as a symbol of the longevity of their rule."
That political function of the Reiterdenkmal became obsolete within three years. World War I broke out, and in 1915 German South West Africa was overrun and the Schutztruppe surrendered. Germany lost all of its colonies after the war. Between the two World Wars, the German war graveyard at Waterberg and the Reiterdenkmal were the two most important sites for war remembrance and mourning celebrations of the German minority in South West Africa.[3]
The monument also served as brand for German rule in Africa and was used for propaganda during the Third Reich. Books and movies featured pictures of it.[3] In 1969, during the Apartheid era, it was declared a national monument by the South African administration.[1]
Controversies
The Reiterdenkmal has long been controversial. Its continued display of German superiority, as well as its one-sided reporting on the deaths in the first decade of the 20th century although Herero and Damara people lost fifty times as many lives as the Germans during the Herero and Namaqua War,[8] have attracted critical commentary, particularly since the 1980s.[3]
In 1959, a few days after the Old Location Uprising in which 11 people were killed, unknown Herero activists covered the rider's head with a linen bag and decorated the rest of the statue with flowers as a "protest against the atrocities of the white South African minority regime".[3] After Namibia gained independence in 1990, white citizens of German descent feared that the statue would be destroyed, but that was not a priority of the SWAPO government, which preferred to build its own memorial sites to remember the independence struggle.[9]
Several other actions demonstrating the controversies around the monuments were performed in 2008. In July, 51 wooden crosses were erected around the statue, bearing names and expressions in Otjiherero, and in October, a Namibian flag was inserted into the rider's rifle barrel. Each action caused the discussion about status and justification of a monument glorifying German colonialism to flare up again in the local media.[10]
In 2001, the Cabinet of Namibia unanimously decided to build an Independence Museum at the site opposite the Christuskirche, at the place the Equestrian Monument stood. The removal of the statue was explicitly endorsed.[11] In 2009 construction of the museum began, the monument was wrapped, disassembled, and stored at a warehouse.[1] The storage place was kept secret to avoid attracting vandals and memorabilia collectors.[12] Private donors financed the move, as it was feared that the statue would otherwise be destroyed.[13]
In 2010, the monument was re-erected in front of the Alte Feste,[1] but discussions on its role in an independent Namibia did not cease. The National Heritage Council advertised the suggested deproclamation as National Monument on 20 December 2013 and gave the public 60 days to register objections. Only a few days into the period,[14] on 25 December 2013, the area in front of Alte Feste was cordoned off to prevent the public and the press from getting too close. Police Inspector-General Sebastian Ndeitunga confirmed that it was to be removed again,[15] and the statue was lifted off its plinth in the evening of the same day[16] and transported into the yard of Alte Feste for storage.[14]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reiterdenkmal, Windhoek.
^ abcdeBause, Tanja (30 January 2012). "Monument's centenary remembered". The Namibian.
^Schreiber, Irmgard (27 January 2010). "Reiter verbringt Geburtstag im Container" [Rider spends birthday in container]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
^ abcdefZeller, Joachim (2007). "Das Reiterdenkmal in Windhoek (Namibia) - Die Geschichte eines deutschen Kolonialdenkmals" [The Equestrian Monument in Windhoek, Namibia. History of a German Colonial Monument] (in German). Extract from Zeller's book "Kolonialdenkmäler und Geschichtsbewußtsein. Eine Untersuchung der kolonialdeutschen Erinnerungskultur" [Colonial Monuments and History Awareness. An Investigation into German Colonial Culture of Remembrance], Frankfurt/M. 2000, published via freiburg-postkolonial.de. Retrieved 1 February 2012.
^Muraranganda, Elvis (24 December 2013). "Govt presses on with Reiterdenkmal removal". Namibian Sun.
^Vogt, Andreas (18 July 2008). "To move or not to move: On the relocation of the Equestrian Monument in Windhoek". The Namibian.
^Zeller, Joachim (12 September 2008). "The German Rider - An Apolitical Soldiers' Memorial?". The Namibian.
^Zuern, Elke (2010), Memorial Politics – Challenging Power and Inequality in Namibia (Draft ed.), City University of New York Graduate Center, p. 2
^"Germany admits Namibia genocide". BBC News. 14 August 2004.
^Zuern, Elke (2012) Memorial Politics: challenging the dominant party's narrative in Namibia, JMAS 50,3: 496-9
^Fischer, Stefan (24 October 2008). "Reiter mit Fahne geschmückt" [Rider decorated with flag]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
^Hofmann, Eberhard (2 October 2009). "Staat verlangt Kommandohöhe" [State requests top of command chain]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
^Mach, Marco (11 August 2009). "Pferd hat wohl einen hohlen Bauch" [The horse likely has a hollow body]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
^Fischer, Stefan (5 May 2010). "Teurer Umzug - Versetzung des Reiterdenkmals kostet 773000 N$" [Expensive move - Shifting the Equestrian Monument costs 773,000N$]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German).
^ abSteynberg, Francoise (27 December 2013). [Rider falls on holiest day]. Die Republikein (in Afrikaans). Archived from the original on 1 July 2014.
^"Reiterdenkmal gallops again on Christmas". The Namibian. 26 December 2013.
^"Eilmeldung: Reiterdenkmal ist abgesägt" [Reiterdenkmal has been done away with]. Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 26 December 2013.
reiterdenkmal, windhoek, equestrian, monument, more, commonly, known, under, german, original, name, reiterdenkmal, name, südwester, reiter, rider, south, west, monument, windhoek, capital, namibia, inaugurated, january, 1912, birthday, german, emperor, wilhel. The Equestrian Monument more commonly known under its German original name Reiterdenkmal and the name Sudwester Reiter Rider of South West was a monument in Windhoek the capital of Namibia It was inaugurated on 27 January 1912 the birthday of German emperor Wilhelm II The monument honoured the soldiers and civilians that died on the German side of the Herero and Namaqua War of 1904 1907 a situation that caused controversy about its role in a democratic Namibia that has shed its colonial occupation and gained independence Reiterdenkmal in Windhoek before its relocation in 2009 The monument was unmounted in 2009 at its original location opposite the Christuskirche in central Windhoek and in 2010 re erected a few metres away in front of the Alte Feste After public controversy did not cease it was removed altogether in 2013 The bronze statue is currently in storage in the courtyard of the Alte Feste Contents 1 Creation and erection 2 Status 3 Controversies 4 ReferencesCreation and erection Edit Monument inscription in German Only the German losses are counted here The Reiterdenkmal was financed privately and designed by Berlin sculptor Adolf Kurle The equestrian statue is 4 5 metres 15 ft tall and made from bronze It was created in Berlin and shipped to German South West Africa in 1911 After its arrival in Swakopmund it was transported by train to Windhoek 1 The plinth is 5 metres 16 ft tall and consists of approximately 180 granite rocks from Okahandja 2 It has a plaque mounted on it that remembers the German soldiers and civilians that died in the Herero and Namaqua War of 1904 1907 as well as in the Kalahari Expedition in 1908 The translation of the inscription is 3 Remembering and honouring the brave German warriors that died for emperor and empire to save and protect this land during the Herero and Hottentot uprisings between 1903 and 1907 and during the Kalahari Expedition in 1908 Also remembering and honouring German citizens that died from the hands of the indigenous Fallen missing died from accident succumbed to their injuries or sickness Of the Protection Force 100 officers 254 non commissioned officers 1180 soldiers of the marine 7 officers 13 non commissioned officers 27 seamen Killed during the uprising 119 men 4 women 1 child German South West African Governor Theodor Seitz inaugurated the monument 4 on the 53rd birthday of German emperor Wilhelm II on 27 January 1912 1 Although the monument is unusual in that it displays a corporal on horseback Namibian historian Andreas Vogt incorrectly claimed that nowhere else in the world is an ordinary soldier sculpted in that manner and that the honour of being displayed on a horse is only extended to highest nobility like emperors kings and princes 5 German historian Joachim Zeller points out that traditionally equestrian statues symbolise imperial rule and power and that this is how the function of the Reiterdenkmal has to be interpreted 6 Status EditThe monument was erected not only to remember the dead but also was intended to serve as symbol of victory and a claim to rightful possession of South West African land 3 Elke Zuern Professor of Politics at Sarah Lawrence College writes 7 Memorials and commemorations offer stylized presentations of the past They can also have profound political meaning by visibly presenting victor s justice and offering a warning to those who might continue to resist The Equestrian Monument in Windhoek served exactly this function Standing next to the German colonial fort and on the site of a wartime concentration camp it was erected by the German colonial masters as a symbol of the longevity of their rule That political function of the Reiterdenkmal became obsolete within three years World War I broke out and in 1915 German South West Africa was overrun and the Schutztruppe surrendered Germany lost all of its colonies after the war Between the two World Wars the German war graveyard at Waterberg and the Reiterdenkmal were the two most important sites for war remembrance and mourning celebrations of the German minority in South West Africa 3 The monument also served as brand for German rule in Africa and was used for propaganda during the Third Reich Books and movies featured pictures of it 3 In 1969 during the Apartheid era it was declared a national monument by the South African administration 1 Controversies EditThe Reiterdenkmal has long been controversial Its continued display of German superiority as well as its one sided reporting on the deaths in the first decade of the 20th century although Herero and Damara people lost fifty times as many lives as the Germans during the Herero and Namaqua War 8 have attracted critical commentary particularly since the 1980s 3 In 1959 a few days after the Old Location Uprising in which 11 people were killed unknown Herero activists covered the rider s head with a linen bag and decorated the rest of the statue with flowers as a protest against the atrocities of the white South African minority regime 3 After Namibia gained independence in 1990 white citizens of German descent feared that the statue would be destroyed but that was not a priority of the SWAPO government which preferred to build its own memorial sites to remember the independence struggle 9 Several other actions demonstrating the controversies around the monuments were performed in 2008 In July 51 wooden crosses were erected around the statue bearing names and expressions in Otjiherero and in October a Namibian flag was inserted into the rider s rifle barrel Each action caused the discussion about status and justification of a monument glorifying German colonialism to flare up again in the local media 10 In 2001 the Cabinet of Namibia unanimously decided to build an Independence Museum at the site opposite the Christuskirche at the place the Equestrian Monument stood The removal of the statue was explicitly endorsed 11 In 2009 construction of the museum began the monument was wrapped disassembled and stored at a warehouse 1 The storage place was kept secret to avoid attracting vandals and memorabilia collectors 12 Private donors financed the move as it was feared that the statue would otherwise be destroyed 13 In 2010 the monument was re erected in front of the Alte Feste 1 but discussions on its role in an independent Namibia did not cease The National Heritage Council advertised the suggested deproclamation as National Monument on 20 December 2013 and gave the public 60 days to register objections Only a few days into the period 14 on 25 December 2013 the area in front of Alte Feste was cordoned off to prevent the public and the press from getting too close Police Inspector General Sebastian Ndeitunga confirmed that it was to be removed again 15 and the statue was lifted off its plinth in the evening of the same day 16 and transported into the yard of Alte Feste for storage 14 References Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reiterdenkmal Windhoek a b c d e Bause Tanja 30 January 2012 Monument s centenary remembered The Namibian Schreiber Irmgard 27 January 2010 Reiter verbringt Geburtstag im Container Rider spends birthday in container Allgemeine Zeitung in German a b c d e f Zeller Joachim 2007 Das Reiterdenkmal in Windhoek Namibia Die Geschichte eines deutschen Kolonialdenkmals The Equestrian Monument in Windhoek Namibia History of a German Colonial Monument in German Extract from Zeller s book Kolonialdenkmaler und Geschichtsbewusstsein Eine Untersuchung der kolonialdeutschen Erinnerungskultur Colonial Monuments and History Awareness An Investigation into German Colonial Culture of Remembrance Frankfurt M 2000 published via freiburg postkolonial de Retrieved 1 February 2012 Muraranganda Elvis 24 December 2013 Govt presses on with Reiterdenkmal removal Namibian Sun Vogt Andreas 18 July 2008 To move or not to move On the relocation of the Equestrian Monument in Windhoek The Namibian Zeller Joachim 12 September 2008 The German Rider An Apolitical Soldiers Memorial The Namibian Zuern Elke 2010 Memorial Politics Challenging Power and Inequality in Namibia Draft ed City University of New York Graduate Center p 2 Germany admits Namibia genocide BBC News 14 August 2004 Zuern Elke 2012 Memorial Politics challenging the dominant party s narrative in Namibia JMAS 50 3 496 9 Fischer Stefan 24 October 2008 Reiter mit Fahne geschmuckt Rider decorated with flag Allgemeine Zeitung in German Hofmann Eberhard 2 October 2009 Staat verlangt Kommandohohe State requests top of command chain Allgemeine Zeitung in German Mach Marco 11 August 2009 Pferd hat wohl einen hohlen Bauch The horse likely has a hollow body Allgemeine Zeitung in German Fischer Stefan 5 May 2010 Teurer Umzug Versetzung des Reiterdenkmals kostet 773000 N Expensive move Shifting the Equestrian Monument costs 773 000N Allgemeine Zeitung in German a b Steynberg Francoise 27 December 2013 Ruiter val op heiligste dag Rider falls on holiest day Die Republikein in Afrikaans Archived from the original on 1 July 2014 Reiterdenkmal gallops again on Christmas The Namibian 26 December 2013 Eilmeldung Reiterdenkmal ist abgesagt Reiterdenkmal has been done away with Allgemeine Zeitung in German 26 December 2013 Coordinates 22 34 07 S 17 05 16 E 22 56861 S 17 08778 E 22 56861 17 08778 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Reiterdenkmal Windhoek amp oldid 1071492864, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
