GDR Children of Namibia

The term GDR children of Namibia is a group of about 400 Namibian children who were brought as part of the independence struggles of SWAPO against South Africa in 1979 for their own safety from the refugee camps in East Germany and there growing up, until 1990 with the acquisition Namibia's independence were brought back abruptly.

Many of these " GDR - Children " are organized among friends ex - GDR. The official language of the Association is Oshi - German, a mix of German, English and Oshivambo.

Prehistory

In the sixties and seventies grew among many blacks, especially among the members of the Ovambo population, the resistance against the South African occupation. The population of South West Africa was heavily penalized by the white South Africans under apartheid. As part of its liberation struggle SWAPO supported the Namibians seeking refuge and established refugee camps, which soon assumed the size and structure of villages or small towns. Exile found the Namibians in Tanzania, Botswana, Zambia and Angola. In addition to the refugees ' Solidarity Workers ' sought, especially from European countries, but also from Cuba and other socialist countries to the development of health and education centers. Two of the camps were officially called " Namibian health and education center " means: Nyango in Zambia and Kwanza Sul, Angola. Here were mainly Cubans, German from East Germany, Sweden and Finland represent that helped to improve the conditions in exile.

In the struggle for the independence of Namibia, SWAPO sought in many countries help and support which they received in the form of teachers and medical personnel, weapons, money, ammunition, and finally civilian goods. Between 1960 and 1980, came hundreds of Namibians in the GDR, where professional training, studying or completed several courses were made possible. There was also an 1978 medical treatment of Kassinga survivors and seriously wounded PLAN fighters in the GDR. In this way, provided the GDR " solidarity programs" in Africa's south-west. Sam Nujoma turned to the Kassinga massacre again to the GDR and other socialist and communist countries and asked to take children from the SWAPO refugee camps, to protect them from further abuse, to provide them with good food and care until you yourself again be able to meet these obligations.

On September 12, 1979 Nujoma's request by the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the SED was approved and started the planning of the project. This is known today as a hunting lodge Bellin property in the village Bellin ten kilometers south of Güstrow (Mecklenburg- Vorpommern) was selected for the accommodation of the children.

Arrival

On 18 December 1979 80 Namibian children in snowy Berlin came on, one of which was the oldest of six and seven and the youngest of three to four years old. In addition to medical care and everyday teaching first German knowledge was a central task to prepare the children for their schooling. Between 1979-1988 a total of 430 children were born in the GDR. Due to lack of capacity was brought from 1985, the older classes in the school of friendship in Staßfurt where the Namibian youth in addition to the lessons had an accommodation. Also in the nearby Löderburg Namibian children went to school.

The later as " 79er " known group of first arrivals spent eleven and a half years in the GDR. They went to school, learned German as their mother tongue and practically grew up on German. German Namibian teachers as the children tried as far as possible their Namibian culture through traditional dances and songs to Oshivambo and traditional cooking events to bring them closer. The relatively small role that fell to the Namibian tradition, given the ubiquity of the German language and culture, was also supported by the lack of experience of the teachers. So knew, according to the "Ex- GDR - Children " own Namibian teachers relatively little of their culture because they had spent a large part of their lives in refugee camps outside of Namibia. Great emphasis has been on socialist education and values ​​education, as in the whole GDR placed. The formation of SWAPO pioneers aimed to use these Namibian children as the new ruling elite of the country after independence. These assigned to them from the outset role largely determined their disciplinary education.

Feedback

A few months after the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, gained its independence in Namibia. The rush of events in the GDR resulted nine months later to the fact that the Namibian children and young people and their teachers had to leave East Germany shortly.

The opinions about the causes of return diverge. While former employees and teachers mention the lack of approval of the continuation of yet very costly project as a reason to insist mainly the "Ex- GDR - Children " on the responsibility by SWAPO. A time educated parents - Commission had called for the return of children, be it as a symbol of the new and independent government of Namibia or as evidence against circulating rumors allegedly kidnapped SWAPO children. Between 26 and 31 August 1990, the return of children took place. When returning home, they landed in a strange and unknown land them. A two-tailed culture shock was the result: While these young people for the blacks, often for their own family, strangers - " German " were considered the German -Russians in Namibia, although they as "surprisingly German ", but it is still black.

For the " GDR - Children from Namibia " this meant a conflict between two home countries, two cultures and a battle between two identities.

Hindsight

As part of the return to Namibia, the young Namibians were quickly provided with the concept of "Ex- GDR - Children ". Also they spoke of the " Easterners of Namibia", as they sometimes called " Ossi " called themselves. The surviving until 2007 Ossiclub of Windhoek, where they met regularly supported their naming in addition. To date, the young German - Namibians depend called " GDR children " to, a term which they have long since outgrown. And their biographies vary widely: while some of the good education and German language knowledge in the strongly German-influenced Namibia promise great career opportunities, others suffer from their shattered biography that is a ceaseless search for their own homeland, culture and identity possible.

Today, the young ex- GDR children call each other as " Omulaule " what Oshivambo and " black" or " black man". Your club bears the name of friends but still ex - GDR.

Cinematic reception

• Honecker's Forgotten Children, Documentary by Jule and Udo Kilimann, 2010 Original Air Date RBB March 27, 2010; Website for the film
• Namibia - What do you mean here German, Documentary by Wolf of Lojewski, ZDF 2008?
• The Easterners of Namibia, documentary by K.-D. Gralow, R. and H. Pitann Thull, 2004-2007, Production:. Pitann film Graphics, Original NDR 2007
• If we separate the two mountains, 2007, 48 min, R B: View Martin Reinbold, Marion nail Website for Film
• Omulaule means black, at the Bauhaus- University Weimar ( Faculty of Media ) incurred documentary. The film was awarded the Prize of the Center for Political Education Thuringia, 2003. Website for the film
• The Easterners of Windhoek, 1997 Documentation, 52 min. ARTE & Mdr
• Documentary Trilogy by Lilly Grote & Julia Kunert: Inside - Outside, 1990
• Staßfurt - Windhoek, 1991
• Oshilongo Shange - My Country, 1992