Anniversary Programme Berlin
Many diverse collaborations and community perspectives shaped the anniversary programme that took place in Berlin from the 17th to the 23rd November 2025. More than 30 events with around 40 cooperating partners and over 100 participants from Berlin and Windhoek took place across the city in different locations. The programme focused on contemporary art, film and music, and invited the public to remembrance culture projects and civil society dialogue that also gave visibility to underrepresented perspectives. Artistic exchange, transnational productions and developing sustainable networks were also the central focus of this anniversary week. It dealt with Germany’s colonial past and its effects in Namibia, reflected on its impact in the present and explored perspectives for a shared future.
A main feature of the programme was the European premiere of the music theatre production “People of Song”, which was developed by a Namibian-German artists collective associated with the theatre organisation Momentbühne and, after its world premiere in Windhoek, was performed for the first time in Berlin in the Humboldt Forum during the anniversary celebrations. Another highlight was the artistic intervention “Memory Scripts” by Windhoek artist Vitjitua Ndjiharine, which was displayed prominently on the House of Representatives throughout the anniversary week and thus entered into dialogue with Berlin’s urban society.
Daily city tours by Berlin Postkolonial and deSta – Decolonial City Tour invited the public to explore Berlin and its history with a critical eye. The film festival “AFRIKAMERA – Contemporary Cinema from Africa” presented a night of Namibian films, talks and music at the SİNEMA TRANSTOPIA, including presentations of work by other project partners, for example a cinematic VR-project. At the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, there was a special Namibia edition of the “Decolonized Glamour Talks” – a performative talk format with guests from Namibia, initiated by Lara-Sophie Milagro.
“Traces of Memory”, an event at the Gropius Bau curated by Kulturprojekte Berlin, explored the theme of archives and asked how the past and present are linked in them. Forensic Architecture, Contemporary And (C&), TheMuseumsLab, urban dialogues and other participating researchers, artists and organisations presented their current work and research projects and discussed sustainable forms of international collaboration. In the Berlin Global Village, Decolonize Berlin explored the theme “Reframing Relations” and brought together civil society stakeholders from Namibia and Germany to discuss what is required for decolonial relations.
SODI e.V., a leading organisation for future-orientated education work, created a mobile presentation that provided insights into the shared history of both countries as well as a look back at the 25-year city partnership. There were also many other exhibitions, panel discussions, films, music and participatory projects, such as a podcast for children by BÜCHERALARM and an open community singing event in the Genezarethkirche, which was hosted by Kulturprojekte Berlin and Namibian singers from the project “People of Song”.