History of African Influence in Germany

Like many countries around the world, Germany’s involvement with the African Diaspora can date back to force. German traders, missionaries, and travelers first went to Africa around 1600 and brought Africans back to their homeland as aides for households and businesses. This started the integration of Africans into this particular subsection of European culture. Interaction between Africa and Germany increased during the 1884 Berlin Congo conference, which was attended by all the major global actors of the day. Europe divided Africa into smaller areas, allowing for the creation of the African German colonies. This increase in interaction and dependency gave many Africans the opportunity to travel to Germany and receive higher education at German schools and universities.

While integration into German society was beneficial to Africans in many ways, they often faced discrimination and rejection. During the Great Depression in Germany, Africans were unable to gain unemployment compensation and only some were supported through a small budget run by the German Foreign Office. Treatment of Africans became especially bad during the height of the Nazi regime in Germany. Racist propaganda was circulating the country and employers were not allowed to hire black employees. Working conditions and travel became impossible to bear. To make matters worse, Nazi leaders implemented an apartheid-like system, segregating this minority group even more. Moreover, racial laws were created to force Africans to compulsory sterilization or into concentration camps. While all of this historical conflict is important to understanding the relationship of Africans to Germany, it is evident that this group still has a large impact on German society and attitudes.

Today Africans constitute a small minority of the German population. There are approximately 300,000 to 500,000 Afro-Germans in a country of 80 million. Thus, racial attitudes remain in German culture because Germans are not sensitive or aware of how to act around this small minority. Up until the late 1980s and early 1990s, derogatory words like neger, negerkuss (negro kiss), and farbige (colored) were thrown around in every day conversations. Now some awareness has been shed on the issue of discrimination and Germans are trying to be more accepting of this minority group.

Prior to the mid 1980s, Afro-deutche were marginalized and discriminated against. Thus, small pockets of Africans emerged in towns and villages so associations could form to cater to this minority's needs. Moreover, these communities allowed for the Afro-deutche to link together over a common shared history. ISD, or the Initiative Schwarze Deutsche, was set up to hold yearly meetings to talk about the African Diaspora  throughout Germany. These meetings allowed for the commingling of generations so all ages could discuss the impact of the African Diaspora on German culture and ways of life.
     I chose Germany because it was hard for me to imagine how the African Diaspora had an effect on this country. When I think of the African Diaspora, countries like Haiti and Brazil come to mind, but not European countries. Thus, I was simply curious to find how the African Diaspora has had an impact on German culture and society. I have studied Germany in terms of its policies and relationship with our country. However, I was very curious to examine the impact German politics and society has on Africans in this country AND how Africans have impacted German politics and society as a marginalized group.

German colonies in Africa after 1884 conference

Sources used:
http://german.about.com/od/culture/a/blackhistger_4.htm

http://maps.nationmaster.com/country/gm

http://www.wordtravels.com/Travelguide/Countries/Germany/Map

http://books.google.com/books?id=mb6SDKfWftYC&pg=PA465&dq=africans+in+germany&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wUafT8nlAenY0QHX7aGJAg#v=onepage&q=africans%20in%20germany&f=false