# Controversial Kinship: Examining Colonialism and Nazi Violence A new Berlin exhibition explores the complex historical links between colonial rule and Nazism. - **Source:** [DW – Culture](https://www.dw.com/en) - **Published:** 2026-11-10 - **Topic:** [politics](https://brifing.si/c/politics) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/68864908-4eec-4972-abfb-d81d2e7c6389 ## Exhibition Explores Historical Parallels The German Historical Museum in Berlin launched an exhibition titled 'Controversial Kinship: Colonial and National Socialist Violence.' Curated by Professor Stephan Malinowski, it examines the potential continuities between European colonial practices and Nazi atrocities. The display aims to foster dialogue rather than settle the intense academic debate regarding historical comparisons. ## Juxtaposing Instruments of Oppression The exhibition displays a hippopotamus-hide whip from African colonies alongside a canister of Zyklon B. This juxtaposition highlights the contrast between colonial violence and the industrialized mass murder of the Holocaust. While distinct in scale, the exhibit notes that whips were utilized in Nazi camps, illustrating shared methods of control. ## Colonialism as a Laboratory Philosopher Hannah Arendt argued in 1951 that colonial territories served as laboratories for racial ideologies. She suggested these practices of domination later 'boomeranged' back into Europe, shaping totalitarian politics. The Congo Free State, under King Leopold II, remains a notorious example of extreme brutality used to enforce resource extraction quotas. ## Forced Labor and Exploitation Nazi rule mobilized 13 to 14 million forced laborers, a scale comparable to the transatlantic slave trade. Victims from Poland, Ukraine, and the Soviet Union faced 'extermination through work.' The regime systematically extracted value by confiscating property and harvesting gold teeth or hair from the dead, mirroring colonial resource exploitation. ## Distinctions in Ideological Goals Historians emphasize that colonial powers often presented assimilation as a path to advancement for a select few. Conversely, Nazi ideology was fundamentally annihilatory, targeting Jews and other groups for total elimination. Unlike colonial systems that sought subjects to serve imperial interests, the Nazi regime pursued the absolute destruction of its victims. ## The Herero and Nama Genocide Between 1904 and 1908, German forces killed approximately 60,000 to 80,000 Herero and 10,000 Nama people in present-day Namibia. General Lothar von Trotha issued an 'extermination order' driven by racial ideology and land control. Germany has since recognized these events as genocide, though legal liability and formal reparations remain unresolved issues. ## Debating Holocaust Singularity The 'Historikerstreit 2.0' debate questions whether the Holocaust should be viewed as a unique reference point or understood alongside colonial history. Critics of comparison fear it risks relativizing Nazi crimes. However, proponents argue that ignoring colonial history hinders a full understanding of Germany's past and its contemporary national identity. ## Confronting Difficult Historical Pasts Historian Edward Kissi suggests that Germany's identity requires examining its colonial legacy alongside the Holocaust. He compares this to debates in the US over slavery or Turkey over the Armenian genocide. The exhibition remains open until April 11, 2027, encouraging visitors to reflect on these complex and uncomfortable historical patterns. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.dw.com/en/controversial-kinship-from-colonial-rule-to-the-holocaust/a-79902228?maca=en-rss-en-cul-2090-rdf — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._