Forensic exhibition in Berlin reconstructs Shark Island genocide site

In Berlin, a new exhibition titled 'Fractured Lifeworlds', curated by the Spore Initiative, employs digital technology to recreate the Shark Island concentration camp in Namibia, recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. Between 1905 and 1907, over 3,000 individuals from the Herero and Nama tribes perished due to forced labor, starvation, and systematic mistreatment under German colonial authority. The exhibition seeks to reveal the lasting impact of colonizers on both the land and its people. During a visit to Lüderitz in late 2024, the author discovered a small museum, managed by descendants of German settlers, showcasing Herero artifacts while neglecting the camp's historical context. Shark Island later became a tourist campsite, featuring monuments to German merchants Adolf Lüderitz and Heinrich Vogelsang, who were instrumental in the establishment of German South West Africa.