🐂 Herero

Who Are the Herero?

The Herero are a Bantu-speaking pastoral people of Namibia and Botswana, numbering approximately 250,000. They speak Otjiherero, a Bantu language closely related to Himba. The Herero are known for their elaborate Victorian-era dress (adopted from German missionaries), their cattle-centered culture, and their tragic history as victims of the first genocide of the 20th century—the German colonial campaign of 1904-1908 that killed an estimated 65,000-80,000 Herero, approximately 80% of their population. This genocide, only recently officially acknowledged by Germany, profoundly shapes contemporary Herero identity and their ongoing struggle for reparations and justice.

Cattle Culture

Traditional Herero society centered on cattle—the measure of wealth, the currency of social exchange, and the foundation of spiritual life. Like other Bantu pastoralists, the Herero valued cattle far beyond their economic utility; cattle connected the living to ancestors, featured in all major ceremonies, and defined social status. The holy fire (okuruwo), tended at each homestead, maintained connection with ancestors, with cattle present at major rituals. Social organization was bilateral, with individuals belonging to both matrilineal clans (eanda) governing inheritance of cattle and patrilineal clans (oruzo) governing ritual responsibilities. Chiefs led with council advice. This pastoral society, wealthy in cattle and controlling prime grazing lands of central Namibia, came into direct conflict with German colonial ambitions.

The Genocide

German colonization of South West Africa (Namibia) brought escalating land seizures and abuses, leading to Herero revolt in January 1904. Initial military setbacks prompted Germany to send General Lothar von Trotha, who issued the infamous Vernichtungsbefehl (extermination order), directing that all Herero be killed or driven into the Omaheke Desert to die. Troops poisoned water holes, shot those attempting to surrender, and drove survivors into the desert where thousands died of thirst. Survivors were interned in concentration camps with mortality rates exceeding 50%. The Nama people suffered similar treatment. This systematic campaign is recognized by historians as the 20th century's first genocide, a precursor to the Holocaust. Germany formally acknowledged the genocide in 2021 and offered limited reparations, though many Herero reject the terms.

Contemporary Herero

Modern Herero have rebuilt their population and culture while pursuing justice for the genocide. Herero women's distinctive dress—voluminous Victorian-style gowns with horn-shaped headdresses (otjikaiva)—was adopted from missionaries in the 19th century and transformed into a powerful symbol of Herero identity and survival. Men sometimes wear German military-style uniforms at ceremonies, a complex appropriation of colonial symbols. Traditional leadership structures persist alongside Namibian state institutions. Cattle herding continues, though now within commercial ranching systems. The annual Omazemburukiro (Herero Day) commemorates genocide victims and celebrates cultural survival. International campaigns for adequate reparations continue, as many Herero remain landless and impoverished, the long-term consequence of colonial dispossession. The Herero demonstrate both the devastation of genocide and the possibility of cultural survival and ongoing struggle for justice.

References

• Olusoga, D. & Erichsen, C. W. (2010). The Kaiser's Holocaust: Germany's Forgotten Genocide
• Gewald, J-B. (1999). Herero Heroes: A Socio-Political History of the Herero of Namibia
• Kössler, R. (2015). Namibia and Germany: Negotiating the Past