Decolonial city tour

Magazine, further reading & press

Library

Here you will find blog posts written by us, other recommended reading and what the press writes about us.

Blog posts & news

Did you know that April 4th is World Mining Day? Mining impacts our daily lives more than we often realize. For instance, 70% of the world's cobalt is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This mineral is vital for powering your phone, your laptop, and most of your electronic devices. Without it, the modern technologies we depend on
The T4 Euthanasia Program was a sinister initiative undertaken by the Nazi regime in Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. Named after the address of its headquarters at Tiergartenstraße 4 in Berlin, the program's primary aim was to systematically exterminate individuals considered mentally or physically handicapped, as well as those with genetic defects.
Nelson Mandela, affectionately known as Madiba, spent 27 years of his life imprisoned for his unwavering commitment to anti-apartheid activism. Emerging from the darkness of incarceration, he became a towering figure in the fight for liberation and equality for Black South Africans. Despite enduring immense personal suffering, Mandela chose not to harbor bitterness or seek revenge.
Celia's famous catchphrase, "¡Azúcar!" (meaning "sugar"), became synonymous with her persona. This word captured her energetic performances, creative spirit, and enthusiasm for life and music. It became a rallying cry of joy, love, and cultural pride-a fitting representation of her indomitable spirit.
Anton Wilhelm Amo whose stories beg to be heard and remembered. Amo's life is a testament to the richness and complexity of human experience and highlights how the narratives of African people have been systematically erased or ignored in mainstream histories
Witches were often female traditional doctors? The infamous witch hunts, which began in the late 1480s, were rooted in the systematic persecution of women practicing medicine and healing arts. This historical tragedy reflects not only the misogyny and power structures of the time but also the suppression of female medical professionals in favor of an emerging male-dominated field.

Book recommendations in English

They Were Her Property: White Women as Slave Owners in the American South

Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers
A groundbreaking book about the often overlooked role of white women in the American slave system. Stephanie E. Jones-Rogers shows how they actively participated in the slave market, profited economically and used brutal management strategies - a new look at power and responsibility in the history of slavery.

Afrotopia

Felwin Sarr
A powerful meditation and poetic call for an African utopia of self-reinvention in the 21st century. After colonialism, civil wars and the AIDS crisis, a new day seems to be dawning for the African continent.

The Wretched of the Earth

Frantz Fanon
A classic about the psychological and social consequences of colonialism

How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

Walter Rodney
A critical analysis of the economic exploitation of Africa through colonialism

Collective Amnesia

Koleka Putuma
A collection of political poems about decolonization and identity

The Kaiser's Holocaust: 

Prof. David Olusoga
On 12 May 1883, the German flag was raised on the coast of South-West Africa, modern Namibia - the beginnings of Germany's African Empire.

Book recommendations in German

Gap and love

Josephine Apraku
A clever book about the invisibility of social inequality in romantic relationships. Josephine Apraku shows how discrimination also shapes intimate relationships - and how we can love more consciously.

Amon. My grandfather would have shot me.

Jennifer Teege
An impressive memoir about cultural trauma and personal identity. At the age of 38, Jennifer Teege discovers by chance that her grandfather was the notorious Nazi criminal Amon Göth - a realization that shatters her life and confronts her with profound questions about origin, guilt and identity.

Black studies

Ina Wudtke
The book is a multidirectional reminder of past and present anti-racist struggles in Germany. It documents Wudtke's audio installation Black Lives Audio Triptych and brings to life archive material - especially photos, songs and texts - about Fasia Jansen and Hilarius Gilges.

Being German and Black at the same time: Memoirs of an Afro-German

Theodor Michael
This book shows the often forgotten history of colonial migrants in Germany and their discrimination over the course of time - from initial acceptance to systematic exclusion. An important read to better understand the effects of colonialism and racism in Germany.

Black feminism

Natasha A. Kelly
Translated texts by Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Kimberlé Crenshaw and others that shed light on intersectional feminism

Your home is our nightmare

Fatma Aydemir and Hengameh Yaghoobifarah
Essays on racism and anti-Semitism in Germany

Recommended documentaries

Audio guide tours in Berlin

Coming soon...

deSta in the press

Are you interested in writing about us? Do not hesitate to contact us.

Deutschlandfunk

Historical city tour: Berlin's African Quarter

Julian Hilgers
ZDF today

African history in Berlin

Sarah Danquah
THE GUARDIAN

'Hidden in plain sight': the European city tours of slavery and colonialism

Ashifa Kassam
Berliner Zeitung

"Permanent colony" in the African Quarter

Maria Häußler
AL JAZEERA

How to pay for genocide

Shola Lawal
B.Z.

Berlin native Justice Mvemba wants to raise awareness as Miss Germany

Sabine Klier