From 1884 to 1915, the German Empire occupied what was then known as German South-West Africa, present-day Namibia. During these 31 years of colonial rule, land was seized, communities were dispossessed, and resistance was met with extreme violence.

Between 1904 and 1908, German forces carried out a campaign of extermination against the Herero and Nama peoples. Historians estimate that approximately 65,000 Herero (around 80% of their population) and 10,000 Nama (about half of their population) perished through massacres, forced displacement into the desert, starvation, and imprisonment in concentration camps such as Shark Island. In total, around 75,000 people lost their lives — a genocide that remains one of the earliest of the 20th century.

Pro-Independence Leaders Killed by German Colonial Authorities

The struggle against colonial domination was led by courageous figures who paid with their lives:

Hendrik Witbooi – A revered Nama captain who resisted German control for years; he was killed in battle against German forces in 1905.

Jakob Marengo – A prominent guerrilla commander who fought a sustained anti-colonial campaign; he was killed by German forces in 1907.

Cornelius Frederiks – A Nama leader captured by German authorities and who died in 1907 in the Shark Island concentration camp after enduring brutal conditions.

Today, we remember the tens of thousands of men, women, and children whose lives were taken, whose communities were shattered, and whose descendants continue to seek justice and recognition.

Their resistance endures as a testament to dignity, sovereignty, and the unbroken spirit of the Namibian people.