Brandenburg's Colonialism in West Africa
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| Admission: 5 EUR, reduced 2,50 EUR |
| Planning: Duration: 90 min |
| Suitable for: 14 years and older |
| Which languages: German |
| Venue: Ground Floor, Hall 3 |
| Part of: SITE SPECIFICS |
To tackle the subject of German colonial history is a central concern of the Humboldt Forum, as both the history of the site and the collections presented here are set in colonial contexts.
A little-noticed starting point of German colonialism is the Brandenburg colony of Groß-Friedrichsburg. It existed from 1683 to 1718 in what is now Ghana on the west coast of Africa and served the trafficking of enslaved people.
Elector Friedrich Wilhelm had sent Otto Friedrich von der Gröben on the journey in 1682 in order to secure Brandenburg a share in the transatlantic trade. After his return, Gröben published the ‘Guinean Travelogue’ (‘Guineische Reise-Beschreibung’) and dedicated it to his patron.
Literary scholar Gabriele Leschkek will provide us with insights into the thought patterns and language of the book and shed light on the social frameworks that shaped European colonialism and its continuing impact.
The actress Alina Vimbai Strähler, a member of the Schaubühne Berlin ensemble, will read excerpts from the travel report.
Dr. Gabriele Leschke is a literary scholar and graduate librarian. She works as head of department at the Central and Regional Library in Berlin. In addition to her dissertation on Otto Friedrich von der Gröben, the chairwoman of the Johann Gottfried Schnabel Society has written essays on the interactions between Prussian history and German literature, on Johann Gottfried Schnabel, and on library topics.
Alina Vimbai Strähler was born and grew up in Duisburg. She studied acting at the Zurich University of the Arts and New York University. She holds a scholarship from the Zürcher Theaterverein and had her first engagements at the Zürcher Schauspielhaus and Schauspiel Frankfurt during her studies. After graduating, she was permanently employed at the Konstanz Theatre, the Lucerne Theatre and the Grips Theatre. In 2018, she was invited to the Swiss Theatre Meeting with the work White Out by Alexander Giesche. She has been a permanent member of the Schaubühne ensemble since 2021, where she can currently be seen in Kein Weltuntergang, directed by Katie Mitchell.