»For today ’s population it is important to obtain as complete a picture of the history of black people in Germany as possible so that we aren’t misled by mis- conceptions and guesswork. The lives of men and women of African origin in Germany have many different aspects, and we should make an effort to gather and comprehend them in their diversity and complexity.« Katharina Oguntoye, 2004
BLACK PROTAGONISTS
As early as the 19th century, missionaries, travelers and merchants were bringing Africans to Germany, the majority of them young. But it wasn’t until about 1900, with the expansion of Germany’s colonies and growing trade and tourism, that there was a real increase in the number of colonial migrants. Many of these came to Germany for training and education, or found work as discharged sailors in port cities or in the booming entertainment sector. Not a few settled down, started families and became active in society.
During World War I, Africans who had fought for France or Britain came into the German Reich as prisoners of war. After the war, black French colonial soldiers were stationed in the occupied Rhineland area. In many instances these people and their descendants remained in Germany, despite racial segregation during the Weimar Republic and persecution by the National Socialists.
After 1945, the Afro-German community in the Federal Republic was boosted by the children of black GIs and ongoing immigration from African countries. Since the 1980s, black people in Germany have become progressively more organized in an attempt to safeguard their interests and defend themselves from the effects of racism.