Memorandum

by

Dr. Andreas Vogt

Windhoek/Namibia

 

On the relocation of the Equestrian Monument in Windhoek

 

Contents

 

Problem Definition:                                                                          1

 

1.       Historical monument                                                                 1

2.       Art and cultural-historical uniqueness                                         2

3.                 The Equestrian Monument as sculptural piece of art                   2

4.                 The Equestrian Monument as a special historical monument        2

5.                 Preservation in everybody’s interest                                           3

6.                 The Equestrian Monument as a war and soldier’s monument      3

7.                 State’s duty to preserve and protect soldier’s graves and war monuments                                                                                   4

8.                 Relocation of the Equestrian Monument likely to backfire on Government and Heritage Council                                              5

9.                 Ethics                                                                                       6

10.     The role of the churches: The Equestrian Monument as sacred monument                                                                                    7

11.     The role of cultural organisations: The Equestrian Monument as a cultural and historical monument                                          8

12.     The Equestrian Monument as a living monument                        9

(a) Sacral actions                                                                      9

(b) Relevance within the Namibian context                                 10

          (c) Tourism                                                                              11

          (d) Controversial meaning                                                         11

(e) New symbols of autocratic rule                                             11

13.     The Equestrian Monument as a proclaimed national monument   13

14.     Heritage conservation, town planning and urban design               14

15.     Practical problems                                                                    15

16.     What if the new location is unsuitable?                             16

17.     Application of conservation principles                                       16

18.     International Organisations                                                        17

18.     Inappropriate administration of conservation matters                  18

19.     The interest of further generations                                              19

Conclusion                                                                                       19

Literature                                                                                                               20

 

Addendum: Portrait: The Equestrian Monument in Windhoek      21

Addendum: The Author                                                                    24

To move or not to move: On the relocation of the Equestrian Monument in Windhoek

 

Problem definition:

 

”The National Heritage Council of Namibia does not have objections against the moving of the Equestrian Monument from its original site to a new site in front of the Alte Feste in Windhoek.” “The site in front of the Alte Feste in Windhoek is just as good as its original site; since the monument displays a mounted soldier, it actually blends well situated against the backdrop of a military building that once accommodated soldiers.“ (Dr. Gabi Schneider, Vice-Chairperson of the National Heritage Council of Namibia, AZ, June 12, 2008, p.1).

 

The cabinet resolution of 2001 regarding the relocation of the Equestrian Monument in Windhoek remains problematic. The question was left open, exactly where to the historical monument was to be shifted (it was indicated vaguely, “in front of the Alte Feste“), as is the design of the new “Independence Museum”. Whether the Equestrian Monument finds a suitable place there, exactly where it is to be located, and exactly why it is to be moved, however, remains unclear. There is the acute danger that serious damage to the valuable monument can be expected. This could result from the inappropriate treatment of the Equestrian Monument, which cannot be rectified later. This precarious resolution is apparently motivated by the fact that a “museum” dedicated to the Namibian liberation struggle is to be built at the current site of the Equestrian Monument. The design of the new “Independence Museum” is likewise unknown.

 

It is questionable, whether this decision was supported by a proper analysis regarding the will of the people in this matter, as well as a number of conservation issues, which take into consideration the following aspects concerning such a relocation of the monument:

 

1. Historical monument

 

The Equestrian Monument is a historical monument. It stands at its current place since its inauguration in the year 1912. It survived various changes of government in the past. The Equestrian Monument is one of the most prominent landmarks of Windhoek, and the best-known historical war memorial in . Together with the Christuskirche, the Alte Feste, Parliamant and the Head-Office of the National Museum it forms, as a historical ensemble, the historical core or centre of town of Windhoek.

 

The envisaged relocation constitutes a substantial disturbance of an invaluable ensemble of historical buildings and monuments, which should not be made without most careful and thorough professional impact assessments.

 

2. Art and cultural-historical uniqueness

 

From an art- and culture-historical point of view, the Equestrian Monument is insofar unique, in that it represents a mounted trooper of the German colonial forces (Schutztruppe) in the form of an equestrian sculpture. Since antiquity, the representation of persons in the form of an equestrian monument was a privilege reserved for highest nobility like emperors, kings and princes only. The commemoration of a mounted foot soldier (holding the rank of a non-commissioned officer) in the form of an equestrian monument is unique not only in the European tradition, but world-wide. By this criterion alone, the Equestrian Monument in Windhoek corresponds with all requirements of singularity, uniqueness and authenticity, which let it stand out far above all other similar war memorials.

 

3. The Equestrian Monument as sculptural piece of art

 

As a bronze sculpture with high accuracy of detail, the Equestrian Monument is a high-ranking piece of art. In it, the artist Adolf Kürle created a masterpiece, which documents the 19^th century sculpture art of Wilhelmian (Imperial) . Unscathed, it outlasted a full century of historical tensions and fundamental political changes both in and . That makes the monument a special cultural monument, particularly in the light of the fact that it is found not in Europe, but stands on African soil.

 

4. The Equestrian Monument as a special historical monument

 

Without prejudice to its location or integrity, the Equestrian Monument survived incisive political changes such as from the German colonial period to the South African Mandate period, from the Mandate period to the South African colonial period, into the Namibian Independence. This is considerable, if one considers the ideological differences between the ethnic groupings of in those years. Irrespective of its ideological burden, and in the context of the shared colonial history of Africans and Europeans, it should not be overlooked that the Equestrian Monument is both part of German history as well as African history. It is inseparably connected with African-European history.

 

5. Preservation in everybody’s interest

 

The relocation of the monument under exclusion of the opinion of various groups or members of the public would boil down to an infringement on the cultural rights and unnecessary stirring of sentiments. If Dr. Schneider glibly states that ”the Equestrian Monument cannot be doubted to be a good symbol of reconciliation“, this is highly doubtful in the light of the fact that the resolution to shift the monument was neither investigated by local or international syndicates, nor was the Namibian population asked about its opinion in this serious matter.

 

The decision for the relocation of the Equestrian Monument was made in 2001 unilaterally by Cabinet, without Parliamentary debate, without proper investigation by a team of conservation professionals convened by the National Heritage Council of Namibia, and without public debate or testing the sentiments of the public in this important matter. In other words, the decision to have it relocated was undemocratic. True reconciliation between the different groupings within could be visibly demonstrated by plain conservation and preservation of this historical monument, by accepting it as unalienable part of our shared Namibian heritage. Its unblemished preservation would be both in the Namibian/African, as well as in the German/European interest.

 

6. The Equestrian Monument as a war and soldier’s monument

 

The Equestrian Monument is a monument dedicated the memory of military and civilian casualties, it is thus a soldier’s and war memorial. It is dedicated to the memory of German soldiers and civilians, who fought and died in the colonial wars against Herero and Nama in . Other monuments (e.g. those of the Herero in Okahandja, Heroes’ Acre) also remind of war heroes; the Equestrian Monument is therefore an integral component of the bulk of soldier’s and war memorials in .

 

Numerous of these, and from the most diverse epochs, are to be found all over the country. They all refer to ’s conflict-rich past. In the mean time, new soldier’s graves were added from the casualties from the DRC and from the liberation war in , and also new monuments are put up like, for instance the Heroes’ Acre in Windhoek or commemorative memorials at Ongulombashe or elsewhere in northern . Although they are seen as part of ’s violent past, their de facto existence does not stir sentiments and they are considered to be appropriate war memorials. By that, Namibia’s conflict-rich past therefore also points into the present, and in all probability also into the future, as is the gradual militarization of the Namibian nation by the increasing number of armed soldiers in the cities, and holding of military parades such as for the heroes’ welcome for returnees from the DRC, and at the inauguration if the new State House recently, and the establishment of new military infrastructure like the military airport at Karibib suggest.

 

7. State’s duty to preserve and protect soldier’s graves and war monuments

 

Since during war the state calls on its citizens to participate in the war, is carries the burden of Obligation to put up, to maintain, preserve, to protect and care for each war memorial. Likewise, a soldier has the respective Right of acknowledgment of his war performance and achievement, and losses suffered in it. This obligation and this right are derived from the principle of a social contract between state and citizen, and may not be violated without a very good reason. Regarding the preservation or relocation of the Equestrian Monument, it is therefore not only the Namibian, but also the German government that should formulate a clear attitude and opinion in this important matter.

 

At all times and in all cultures, monuments were set up regarding the commemoration of the most diverse causes, and the most different persons. To respect and to maintain any monument should be a matter of principle. It is, however, understandable, if statues of the despots such as Louis XIV of or dictators such as Stalin, Hitler or Mussolini were later demolished. These leaders despised the peoples whom they suppressed at the same time. The demolition of such monuments is therefore understandable. In the soldier’s monument, however, it is the performance, the achievement and the loss of life and health of the soldier which is appreciated. The soldier puts his own life at risk, involuntarily, driven by a sense of obligation and in the society’s and public interest, and may even go down, get killed, wounded or missing in action. This is the fundamental difference between a monument, which serves a political personal cult, and a soldier’s monument that acknowledges the personal performance and sacrifice of the individual soldier in a symbolical form, in an appropriate way.

 

It is in this respect that it would be inappropriate to attach a purely political meaning to a soldier’s monument, or use it exclusively in the context of a narrow ideological function. This would do utter harm to the multiple layers of symbolical meaning embodied in any monument. Nobody would question the popularity and the incredible powerful meaning of our Equestrian Monument, which is recognized and acknowledged among the broad masses of the population. There is no doubt that people have strong emotions about it, for whatever reasons, and there is debate, controversy and sentiment around it, and has been ever since it was put up.