ABSTRACT

This article outlines the context in which the Reiterdenkmal statue was installed in 1912 in Windhoek, Namibia (then German South West Africa). As a former German colony, Namibia has many visual and systemic remnants from this period, specifically of interest for this article is the Reiterdenkmal statue. In relation to debates worldwide about the visual memory landscape and statues in contexts of post-colonial societies, this statue is used to explore the narratives of history and heritage in colonial and contemporary times. Reactions to the removal of the statue from its prominent position on a hilltop in the centre of the country’s capital, and the subsequent installation of a replica statue in a private restaurant offer insight into the complex discourses involved in the compilation of memory and history in Namibia. These reactions are considered through a variety of lenses which integrate, or indeed have at their core, the concept of narrative and narrative theory. Furthermore, this article explores the ways in which an authorised heritage discourse (AHD) that privileges German settler colonial history is constructed. The problematics of this AHD is shown in its self-referential nature and the resulting consequences including barriers to multiplicity in memorialisation and heritage.

摘要

本文概述了Reiterdenkmal雕像于1912年在纳米比亚温得和克（当时的德国西南非洲）安装的背景。作为前德国殖民地，纳米比亚在这一时期有许多视觉和系统残留物，本文特别关注的是赖特登克马尔雕像。在全球范围内有关后殖民社会背景下的视觉记忆景观和雕像的辩论中，该雕像用于探索殖民地和当代的历史和遗产叙事。将雕像从该国首都中心山顶上的突出位置移走的反应，以及随后在私人餐厅中安装复制雕像的反应，使人们对纳米比亚记忆和历史汇编中涉及的复杂话语有了深刻的了解。这些反应是通过各种视角来考虑的，这些视角整合或确实以叙事和叙事理论为核心。此外，本文探讨了构建特权的文化话语（AHD）的方法，该话语赋予了德国定居者殖民历史以特权。