{"id":12058,"date":"2019-11-29T14:36:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-29T13:36:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/magazin\/artikel\/die-akustische-spur\/"},"modified":"2021-05-26T06:41:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-26T04:41:58","slug":"following-in-the-sound-tracks","status":"publish","type":"magazine-article","link":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/magazine\/article\/following-in-the-sound-tracks\/","title":{"rendered":"Following in the (sound)tracks of Bayume Mohamed Husen"},"content":{"rendered":"<section class=\"block block-html\">\n\t<aside class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-2 like-interactions\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t<like :textbelow=\"true\"  nonce=\"7bd3454f6f\" postid= \"12058\" post-title=\"Following in the (sound)tracks of Bayume Mohamed Husen\" count=\"5\"><\/like>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"copy\"><p itemprop=\"abstract\" class=\"intro\">A sound recording by Bayume Mohamed Husen which is stored in the Lautarchiv of the Humboldt-Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin gives us an insight into how colonialism was interwoven into the history of Berlin and its university. This recording of a former colonial soldier in the metropolis of Berlin needs to be approached judiciously and interpreted from a multiplicity of perspectives. <\/p><\/copy><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/aside>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><div class=\"_3ycPYXzeZR _1tqB__nJIV\">\n<p>Who is talking here? What is being read out and why? How should we evaluate the cultural significance of what is being said? And what can we say about the speaker from his voice?<br \/>\nMy research on colonial presences in <em>Berlin\u2019s Lautarchiv<\/em> examines these and other questions. The audio archive of the Humboldt-Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin (HU) contains extensive collections of shellac records which were made for scientific purposes up until the mid-twentieth century.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-header\" >\n\t<block-header inline-template>\n\t\t<figure role=\"group\" aria-labelledby=\"desc_m_69d541dedd23d\">\n\n\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/json\" ref=\"data\">\n\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"sizes_d\" : {\"medium\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222-300x178.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":178,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222-1024x609.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":609,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222-768x456.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":456,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"1536x1536\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222-1536x913.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":913,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"2048x2048\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222-2048x1217.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1217,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"original\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00040222.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1486}},\n\t\t\t\t\"alt_d\" : \"Close-up of hands touching the surface of a record disc\",\n\t\t\t\t\"path_d\" : \"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"autoplay_d\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"crop_d\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"background_d\" : true,\n\t\t\t\t\"scale_d\" : 1,\n\n\t\t\t\t\"sizes_m\" : [],\n\t\t\t\t\"alt_m\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"path_m\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"autoplay_m\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"crop_m\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"background_m\" : true,\n\t\t\t\t\"scale_m\" : 1,\n\n\t\t\t\t\"has_mobile_format\" : false,\n\t\t\t\t\"has_ad\" : false,\n\t\t\t\t\"audio_description_yt\" : null\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"height-container\" style=\"padding-bottom:59.44%;\" v-if=\"sizes\" data-motion-parallax='{\"child\":\".image-wrapper\",\"mask\":\".lazy-media\",\"tween\":{\"yPercent\": [-15,15]}}'>\n\t\t\t\t<lazy-media :inline=\"true\" :scale=\"scale\" :alt=\"alt\" :sizes=\"sizes\" :brightness=\"brightness\" :path=\"path\" :video=\"video\" :autoplay=\"autoplay\" :youtube=\"youtube\" :crop=\"crop\" :youtubelabel=\"youtubelabel\" :background=\"background\" media-id=\"desc_m_69d541dedd23d\"><\/lazy-media>\n\t\t\t\t<button class=\"autoplay-audio-description-btn icon-background icon-audio-describtions\" @click=\"audioDescriptionPlay\" v-if=\"hasAudioDescription\" aria-label=\"Audiodeskription aufrufen\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-container-fluid\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-row end-xs\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info\" aria-expanded=\"false\" :aria-expanded=\"isOpen ? 'true' : 'false'\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"lazy-media-info-head button-tiny insignificant\" :class=\"{'button-active': isOpen}\" @click=\"toggle\" ref=\"head\"><span class=\"button-label insignificant\">Image info<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"lazy-media-info-body\" ref=\"body\" id=\"desc_m_69d541dedd23d\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-body-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>The Humboldt Box Berlin provided both audio and tactile experiences to be inclusive of all visitors of the &#039;[laut] Die Welt h&ouml;ren&#039; exhibition<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"insignificant\">\u00a9 David von Becker<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-head-border\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/block-header>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><p>The recording of Bayume Mohamed Husen is among the archive\u2019s holdings offering acoustic evidence of colonialized subjects. In order to find out more about this specific source, I worked together with the social and cultural anthropologist Jasmin Mahazi to organize an audio workshop at the HU\u2019s <em>Institut f\u00fcr Europ\u00e4ische Ethnologie<\/em>. We invited speakers of Swahili to discuss the audio recording and the nature of what they were hearing. The aim of the workshop format was to examine the historical material collectively and without pre-judgement by applying various skills, perspectives and audio impressions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-standard-two-images \">\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box first-image\" data-motion-parallax='{\"child\":\".image-wrapper\",\"mask\":\".lazy-media\",\"tween\":{\"yPercent\": [-20,20]}}'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<lazy-media-inline inline-template>\n\t\t<figure itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" class=\"lazy-media-inline \" role=\"group\" id=\"media_69d541dee091d\" aria-labelledby=\"desc_media_69d541dee091d\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/json\" ref=\"data\">\n\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"sizes\" : {\"medium\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338-300x200.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338-1024x683.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338-768x512.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":512,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"1536x1536\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338-1536x1024.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"2048x2048\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338-2048x1365.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1365,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"original\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093338.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1667}},\n\t\t\t\t\"alt\" : \"Two organisers of a listening workshop at the Institute for European Ethnology at the Humboldt University Berlin\",\n\t\t\t\t\"path\" : \"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"video\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"autoplay\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtube\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtubelabel\" : \"Play video\",\n\t\t\t\t\"brightness\" : 100,\n\t\t\t\t\"crop\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"background\" : false,\n\t\t\t\t\"scale\" : 1\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"height-container\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.68%;\" v-if=\"sizes\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<lazy-media :inline=\"true\" :alt=\"alt\" :sizes=\"sizes\" :scale=\"scale\" :brightness=\"brightness\" :path=\"path\" :video=\"video\" :autoplay=\"autoplay\" :youtube=\"youtube\" :crop=\"crop\" :youtubelabel=\"youtubelabel\" :background=\"background\" media-id=\"desc_media_69d541dee091d\"><\/lazy-media>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-container-fluid\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-row end-xs\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info\" aria-expanded=\"false\" :aria-expanded=\"isOpen ? 'true' : 'false'\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"lazy-media-info-head button-tiny\" :class=\"{'button-active': isOpen}\" @click=\"toggle\" ref=\"head\"><span class=\"button-label insignificant\">Image info<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"lazy-media-info-body\" ref=\"body\" id=\"desc_media_69d541dee091d\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-body-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>The organizers<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>from left to right: Jasmin Mahazi (FU Berlin), Irene Hilden (HU Berlin)  <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"insignificant\">\u00a9 Artur Gerke<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-head-border\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/lazy-media-inline>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"copy\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"Moderation\">Audio workshop at the HU\u2019s Institut f\u00fcr Europ\u00e4ische Ethnologie<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-8 second-image\" data-motion-parallax='{\"child\":\".image-wrapper\",\"mask\":\".lazy-media\",\"tween\":{\"yPercent\": [-15,15]}}'>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t<lazy-media-inline inline-template>\n\t\t<figure itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" class=\"lazy-media-inline \" role=\"group\" id=\"media_69d541dee0a2b\" aria-labelledby=\"desc_media_69d541dee0a2b\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/json\" ref=\"data\">\n\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"sizes\" : {\"medium\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336-300x200.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336-1024x683.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336-768x512.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":512,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"1536x1536\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336-1536x1024.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"2048x2048\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336-2048x1365.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1365,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"original\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093336.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1667}},\n\t\t\t\t\"alt\" : \"Stephanie Laemmert, Frank Daffa and Asmau Nitardy during the listening workshop sitting at the table\",\n\t\t\t\t\"path\" : \"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"video\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"autoplay\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtube\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtubelabel\" : \"Play video\",\n\t\t\t\t\"brightness\" : 100,\n\t\t\t\t\"crop\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"background\" : false,\n\t\t\t\t\"scale\" : 1\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"height-container\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.68%;\" v-if=\"sizes\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<lazy-media :inline=\"true\" :alt=\"alt\" :sizes=\"sizes\" :scale=\"scale\" :brightness=\"brightness\" :path=\"path\" :video=\"video\" :autoplay=\"autoplay\" :youtube=\"youtube\" :crop=\"crop\" :youtubelabel=\"youtubelabel\" :background=\"background\" media-id=\"desc_media_69d541dee0a2b\"><\/lazy-media>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-container-fluid\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-row end-xs\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info\" aria-expanded=\"false\" :aria-expanded=\"isOpen ? 'true' : 'false'\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"lazy-media-info-head button-tiny\" :class=\"{'button-active': isOpen}\" @click=\"toggle\" ref=\"head\"><span class=\"button-label insignificant\">Image info<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"lazy-media-info-body\" ref=\"body\" id=\"desc_media_69d541dee0a2b\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-body-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Workshop participants<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>from left to right: Stephanie L&auml;mmert (Max Planck Institute for Human Development), Frank Daffa (HU Berlin), Asmau Nitardy (German&ndash;African Business Association) <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"insignificant\">\u00a9 Artur Gerke<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-head-border\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/lazy-media-inline>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-headline block-no-margin  hyph-disable\" >\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\".h4\">An ambiguous historical source that is difficult to interpret <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><p>The voice recording was made in July 1934 at the then recently founded <em>Institut f\u00fcr Lautforschung<\/em> (Institute for Sound Research), a part of Berlin University. It contains a text on Swahili wedding traditions being read out by Husen in Swahili. The shellac record was primarily intended as a language teaching aid and was released a year later along with suitable accompanying texts as part of a series brought out by the Lautbibliothek, the <em>Institut f\u00fcr Lautforschung<\/em>\u2019s library of sounds.<\/p>\n<p>Although Husen was named as the narrator of the text in the accompanying booklet, it is unclear who was responsible for the content of the recording. Hearing someone\u2019s voice gives us a particularly direct impression of a person or past situation, more so than with written, photographic or filmic sources. At the same time it is all the more difficult to reconstruct the conditions surrounding the recording of the audio holdings in the <em>Lautarchiv<\/em>. For this reason, Husen\u2019s audio recording is an ambiguous historical source which requires interpretation from multiple perspectives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-standard-two-images reverse_order\">\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box first-image\" data-motion-parallax='{\"child\":\".image-wrapper\",\"mask\":\".lazy-media\",\"tween\":{\"yPercent\": [-20,20]}}'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<lazy-media-inline inline-template>\n\t\t<figure itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" class=\"lazy-media-inline \" role=\"group\" id=\"media_69d541dee2e73\" aria-labelledby=\"desc_media_69d541dee2e73\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/json\" ref=\"data\">\n\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"sizes\" : {\"medium\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337-300x200.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337-1024x683.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337-768x512.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":512,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"1536x1536\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337-1536x1024.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"2048x2048\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337-2048x1365.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1365,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"original\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093337.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1667}},\n\t\t\t\t\"alt\" : \"Asmau Nitardy and Rukia Bakari have a discussion during the listening workshop\",\n\t\t\t\t\"path\" : \"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"video\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"autoplay\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtube\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtubelabel\" : \"Play video\",\n\t\t\t\t\"brightness\" : 100,\n\t\t\t\t\"crop\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"background\" : false,\n\t\t\t\t\"scale\" : 1\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"height-container\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.68%;\" v-if=\"sizes\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<lazy-media :inline=\"true\" :alt=\"alt\" :sizes=\"sizes\" :scale=\"scale\" :brightness=\"brightness\" :path=\"path\" :video=\"video\" :autoplay=\"autoplay\" :youtube=\"youtube\" :crop=\"crop\" :youtubelabel=\"youtubelabel\" :background=\"background\" media-id=\"desc_media_69d541dee2e73\"><\/lazy-media>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-container-fluid\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-row end-xs\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info\" aria-expanded=\"false\" :aria-expanded=\"isOpen ? 'true' : 'false'\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"lazy-media-info-head button-tiny\" :class=\"{'button-active': isOpen}\" @click=\"toggle\" ref=\"head\"><span class=\"button-label insignificant\">Image info<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"lazy-media-info-body\" ref=\"body\" id=\"desc_media_69d541dee2e73\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-body-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Participants<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>from left to right: Asmau Nitardy (German&ndash;African Business Association), Rukia Bakari (University of Leipzig)  <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"insignificant\">\u00a9 Artur Gerke<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-head-border\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/lazy-media-inline>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"copy\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"Moderation\"><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-8 second-image\" data-motion-parallax='{\"child\":\".image-wrapper\",\"mask\":\".lazy-media\",\"tween\":{\"yPercent\": [-15,15]}}'>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t<lazy-media-inline inline-template>\n\t\t<figure itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" class=\"lazy-media-inline \" role=\"group\" id=\"media_69d541dee2f5f\" aria-labelledby=\"desc_media_69d541dee2f5f\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/json\" ref=\"data\">\n\t\t\t\t{\n\t\t\t\t\"sizes\" : {\"medium\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335-300x200.jpg\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335-1024x683.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"thumbnail\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335-150x150.jpg\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"medium_large\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335-768x512.jpg\",\"width\":768,\"height\":512,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"1536x1536\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335-1536x1024.jpg\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"2048x2048\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335-2048x1365.jpg\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":1365,\"mime-type\":\"image\\\/jpeg\"},\"original\":{\"file\":\"HF_eb00093335.jpg\",\"width\":2500,\"height\":1667}},\n\t\t\t\t\"alt\" : \"Frank Daffa, Lutz Diegner and Jasin Mahazi have a discussion during the listening workshop\",\n\t\t\t\t\"path\" : \"\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2020\\\/04\\\/\",\n\t\t\t\t\"video\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"autoplay\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtube\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"youtubelabel\" : \"Play video\",\n\t\t\t\t\"brightness\" : 100,\n\t\t\t\t\"crop\" : null,\n\t\t\t\t\"background\" : false,\n\t\t\t\t\"scale\" : 1\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t<\/script>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"height-container\" style=\"padding-bottom:66.68%;\" v-if=\"sizes\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<lazy-media :inline=\"true\" :alt=\"alt\" :sizes=\"sizes\" :scale=\"scale\" :brightness=\"brightness\" :path=\"path\" :video=\"video\" :autoplay=\"autoplay\" :youtube=\"youtube\" :crop=\"crop\" :youtubelabel=\"youtubelabel\" :background=\"background\" media-id=\"desc_media_69d541dee2f5f\"><\/lazy-media>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-container-fluid\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-row end-xs\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info\" aria-expanded=\"false\" :aria-expanded=\"isOpen ? 'true' : 'false'\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"lazy-media-info-head button-tiny\" :class=\"{'button-active': isOpen}\" @click=\"toggle\" ref=\"head\"><span class=\"button-label insignificant\">Image info<\/span><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"lazy-media-info-body\" ref=\"body\" id=\"desc_media_69d541dee2f5f\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-body-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>Workshop participants<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div>from left to right: Frank Daffa (HU Berlin), Lutz Diegner (HU Berlin), Jasmin Mahazi (FU Berlin) <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"insignificant\">\u00a9 Artur Gerke<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"lazy-media-info-head-border\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/lazy-media-inline>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-headline block-no-margin  hyph-disable\" >\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\".h4\">A distance between narrator and content <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><div class=\"_3ycPYXzeZR _1tqB__nJIV\">\n<p>After everyone had listened to the recording together a first time, the workshop participants agreed that there was a noticeable distance between the narrator and his content, suggesting he was speaking in an unnatural context. In the recording, Husen hesitates as he reads, stumbles over his words and makes linguistic errors. Moreover, the language experts agreed that the text dealt with subject matter that at the time would have only been discussed in private, and even then primarily by women.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the erstwhile practices for conducting research and making recordings were accompanied by a number of cultural and gender specific transgressions. It was the workshop group\u2019s opinion that the narrator found the situation in which the recording was produced and the content of the text itself distinctly unpleasant. The discussion on people\u2019s contemporary experience of sound underlines the fundamental necessity of categorizing voice and music recordings as the products of frequently problematic research and teaching methods that were bound to a particular era. Investigating Husen\u2019s recording is therefore dependent not merely on linguistic expertise, but also on a critical contextualization from a post-colonial perspective.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-headline block-no-margin  hyph-disable\" >\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\".h4\">Husen\u2019s biography and the German colonial history<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><p>Husen\u2019s biography is closely intertwined with German colonial history<br \/>\nHusen was born as Mahjub bin Adam Mohamed in 1904. Coming from Dar es Salaam, which used to be part of the former colony of German East Africa and is now in Tanzania, he fought as a child soldier on the German side in World War I. In the late 1920s he came to Europe on a passenger steamer operated by the German East Africa Line. After his arrival he settled in Berlin and initially worked as a waiter in Haus Vaterland on Potsdamer Platz, which was notable for its exoticizing brand of entertainment. In the 1930s he worked as a supporting actor in colonial exhibitions and film productions, which were intended to convey stereotypical images of black people to a mass market while glorifying Germany as a colonial power.<\/p>\n<p>Husen also worked as a language and teaching assistant for Swahili at the <em>Seminar f\u00fcr Orientalische Sprachen<\/em>, whose primary purpose since 1887 had been to train young colonial officials, military officers and merchants. In 1933 he married a white German, and this was one of the reasons why he was subject to racial discrimination which culminated in his arrest by the Gestapo in 1941. After three years in captivity he was murdered in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp in November 1944.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy-quote\">\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row center-xs\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 quote-copy\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-10 col-xs-offset-1 col-padding-remove\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-zitat quote-copy-icon  no-image\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<blockquote class=\"quote-copy-headline Zitat\">He was simply used to produce the recording<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"quote-copy-subline Copyright\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><div class=\"_3ycPYXzeZR _1tqB__nJIV\">\n<p>Husen\u2019s sound recording and the accompanying written materials refer to colonial power structures which were also manifested at Berlin University. As a \u201clanguage assistant\u201d Husen was subject to precarious working conditions. As the narrator of the recording he was relegated to being the object of scientific study. Cultural scientist Britta Lange has described individual holdings of the <em>Lautarchiv<\/em> as \u201csensitive collections\u201d because they were made under problematic circumstances and exploited unequivocal power relationships.<\/p>\n<p>In the case of Husen\u2019s archived recording, however, not only the context of its production should be categorized as sensitive, but also the content of the recording, for it describes intimate cultural practices in an inappropriate manner and using unsuitable words. A critical and collaborative exploration of this <em>Lautarchiv<\/em> recording, which has hitherto received little attention, can help to identify the sound document as both a product of colonial power structures and an example of how science and colonialism are historically entwined.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<section class=\"block block-headline block-no-margin  hyph-disable\" >\n\t<div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"box\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\".h4\">University research in the Humboldt Forum <\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n\n<section class=\"block block-copy\" >\n    <div class=\"container-fluid\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row \">\n            <div class=\"col-xs-12 col-md-offset-2 col-md-8\">\n                <div class=\"box\">\n                    <div class=\"copy\"><p>In December 2020 the Humboldt-Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin will inaugurate its own space in the Humboldt Forum: the Humboldt Labor. The opening of its first exhibition heralds the permanent presence of cutting-edge university research in the Humboldt Forum. This workshop, sponsored by the Humboldt-Universit\u00e4ts-Gesellschaft and the Humboldt Labor, is one of many formats that will be taking place in the Humboldt Labor in future. It is an outstanding example of the research work examining HU\u2019s collections and archives; the <em>Lautarchiv<\/em> is the sole example of these holdings to move into the Humboldt Forum in its entirety.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t    <\/div>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A sound recording by Bayume Mohamed Husen which is stored in the Lautarchiv of the Humboldt-Universit\u00e4t zu Berlin gives us an insight into how colonialism was interwoven into the history of Berlin and its university. This recording of a former colonial soldier in the metropolis of Berlin needs to be approached judiciously and interpreted from a multiplicity of perspectives. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":560,"template":"","magazine-topic":[295,273],"magazine-format":[327],"magazine-author":[362],"class_list":["post-12058","magazine-article","type-magazine-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","magazine-topic-humboldt-lab","magazine-topic-humboldt-universitaet-zu-berlin-en","magazine-format-reportage-en","magazine-author-irene-hilden-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article\/12058","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/magazine-article"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article\/12058\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=12058"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-format?post=12058"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.humboldtforum.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-author?post=12058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}