Words Cannot Be Found: German Colonial Rule in Namibia : An Annotated Reprint of the 1918 Blue Book (Sources on African History, 1) (Sources on African History, 1)

Jan Kubas was an eyewitness of the events that took place following the defeat of Herero combatants in Namibia at the battle of Hamakari in 1904 and the German pursuit of the Herero community into the parched Omaheke and Kalahari Desert. When interviewed 13 years later he struggled to articulate his memories, complaining that "Words cannot be found to relate what happened; it was too terrible". Yet the words of Jan Kubas and 46 other eyewitnesses of events, which have been described as "war atrocities" (and even "genocide"), that took place during the German colonial period in Namibia were recorded and published in an official British "Blue Book" in 1918. These statements form a rare documentation of African voices describing the encounter of African communities with a colonial power. However, in 1926, only a few years after its publication, the "Blue Book" was withdrawn from the public domain and orders given for its destruction. The year 2004 will mark the centenary of the outbreak of the Namibian war against German rule. It is the intention of the authors that this annotated re-publication of the "Blue Book" will, in some measure, be a memorial to those that died. Contents......Page 7 Preface......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 10 List of Illustrations......Page 12 Footsteps and tears: an Introduction to the Construction and Context of the 1918 ‘Blue Book’......Page 14 REPORT ON THE NATIVES OF SOUTH-WEST AFRICA AND THEIR TREATMENT BY GERMANY......Page 40 Preface......Page 46 Part One: Natives and German Administration......Page 58 I: How German influence was introduced into South-West Africa......Page 60 II: First acquisitions of land......Page 66 III: Germany’s declared policy in regard to the native races......Page 72 IV: First steps after annexation......Page 74 V: The massacre at Hornkrantz......Page 80 VI: Leutwein and the Protection Agreements......Page 88 VII: Native population statistics......Page 98 VIII: The Hereros of South-West Africa......Page 102 IX: Confiscation of Herero cattle by the German Government......Page 114 X: The German traders and how they traded......Page 122 XI: Gradual appropriation of Hereroland and violation of Herero customs......Page 128 XII: The value set on native life by the Germans......Page 132 XIII: The outbreak of the Herero rising and the humanity of the Herero......Page 138 XIV: Preliminary steps and treachery of the Germans......Page 144 XV: How the Hereros were exterminated......Page 150 XVI: The Hottentots of South-West Africa......Page 162 XVII: Laws and customs of the Hottentots......Page 170 XVIII: The Hottentots under German protection......Page 178 XIX: The Bondelswartz rising of 1903 and the general Hottentot Rising of 1904-7......Page 198 XX: The treatment of the Hottentots in war and of the Hereros and Hottentots after surrender......Page 208 XXI: The Berg-Damaras of South-West Africa......Page 220 XXII: The policy of Germany after the great rising of the natives up to the British conquest of South-West Africa in 1915......Page 230 XXIII: The Bastards of Rehoboth......Page 246 XXIV: The Ovambos of South West-Africa......Page 262 XV: The Bushmen of South West-Africa......Page 274 Part Two: Natives and the Criminal Law......Page 286 I: The native as an accused person......Page 288 II: The position of a native when complainant......Page 306 III: The relations between Germans and natives as evinced in Criminal proceedings after our occupation......Page 336 Appendices......Page 360 Bibliography......Page 396 D......Page 400 H......Page 401 M......Page 402 P......Page 403 V......Page 404 Z......Page 405 Contents 7 Preface 8 Acknowledgements 10 List of Illustrations 12 Footsteps and tears: an Introduction to the Construction and Context of the 1918 ‘Blue Book’ 14 REPORT ON THE NATIVES OF SOUTH-WEST AFRICA AND THEIR TREATMENT BY GERMANY 40 Preface 46 Part One: Natives and German Administration 58 I: How German influence was introduced into South-West Africa 60 II: First acquisitions of land 66 III: Germany’s declared policy in regard to the native races 72 IV: First steps after annexation 74 V: The massacre at Hornkrantz 80 VI: Leutwein and the Protection Agreements 88 VII: Native population statistics 98 VIII: The Hereros of South-West Africa 102 IX: Confiscation of Herero cattle by the German Government 114 X: The German traders and how they traded 122 XI: Gradual appropriation of Hereroland and violation of Herero customs 128 XII: The value set on native life by the Germans 132 XIII: The outbreak of the Herero rising and the humanity of the Herero 138 XIV: Preliminary steps and treachery of the Germans 144 XV: How the Hereros were exterminated 150 XVI: The Hottentots of South-West Africa 162 XVII: Laws and customs of the Hottentots 170 XVIII: The Hottentots under German protection 178 XIX: The Bondelswartz rising of 1903 and the general Hottentot Rising of 1904-7 198 XX: The treatment of the Hottentots in war and of the Hereros and Hottentots after surrender 208 XXI: The Berg-Damaras of South-West Africa 220 XXII: The policy of Germany after the great rising of the natives up to the British conquest of South-West Africa in 1915 230 XXIII: The Bastards of Rehoboth 246 XXIV: The Ovambos of South West-Africa 262 XV: The Bushmen of South West-Africa 274 Part Two: Natives and the Criminal Law 286 I: The native as an accused person 288 II: The position of a native when complainant 306 III: The relations between Germans and natives as evinced in Criminal proceedings after our occupation 336 Appendices 360 Bibliography 396 Index 400 A 400 B 400 C 400 D 400 E 401 F 401 G 401 H 401 I 402 J 402 K 402 L 402 M 402 N 403 O 403 P 403 R 404 S 404 T 404 U 404 V 404 W 405 X 405 Z 405 "The 1918 'Blue Book' Report on the Natives of South-West Africa and Their Treatment by Germany, is based on the voluntary statements taken under oath of no less than 50 African witnesses. This testimony was combined with numerous German colonial documents to produce not only a stinging indictment of German colonial policy in German South West Africa, but also a number of detailed eyewitness accounts of the first genocide of the twentieth century. However, within ten years of being printed, orders were issued for the destruction of all copies of the Blue Book within the British Empire. The editors of this volume have investigated how the Blue Book came into being, provided background information to the events and people described, and sought to discover the original German documents upon which so much of the Blue Book material is based. The documentation of African testimonies makes this book particularly useful to all those interested in African and colonial history, human rights and the history of genocide."--Page 4 of cover.

The 1918 “Blue Book” Report on the Natives of South-West Africa and Their Treatment by Germany, is based on the voluntary statements taken under oath of no less than 50 African witnesses. This testimony was combined with numerous German colonial documents to produce, not only a stinging indictment of German colonial policy in German South West Africa, but also the first detailed eyewitness accounts of the first genocide of the twentieth century. However, within ten years of being printed, orders were issued for the destruction of all copies of the “Blue Book” within the British Empire.
The editors have investigated how the Blue Book came into being, provided background information to the events and people described, and sought to discover the original German documents upon which so much of the Blue Book material is based. The particular usefulness of the book lies in the fact that it gives voice to African testimony regarding the first genocide of the Twentieth Century.

The 1918 "Blue Book" Report on the Natives of South-West Africa and Their Treatment by Germany, is based on the voluntary statements taken under oath of no less than 50 African witnesses. This testimony was combined with numerous German colonial documents to produce, not only a stinging indictment of German colonial policy in German South West Africa, but also the first detailed eyewitness accounts of the first genocide of the twentieth century. However, within ten years of being printed, orders were issued for the destruction of all copies of the "Blue Book" within the British Empire. The editors have investigated how the Blue Book came into being, provided background information to the events and people described, and sought to discover the original German documents upon which so much of the Blue Book material is based. The particular usefulness of the book lies in the fact that it gives voice to African testimony regarding the first genocide of the Twentieth Century