Genocide of the Herero & Nama

The genocide of the Herero and Nama (1904–1908) is one of the worst crimes in German colonial history — and is classified by historians as the first genocide of the 20th century.

After the Herero uprising in January 1904, Berlin dispatched General Lothar von Trotha, who issued his infamous extermination order on October 2, 1904:

"Within the German border, every Herero, with or without a gun, with or without cattle, will be shot. I no longer accept women and children."

The Herero were driven into the waterless Omaheke Desert, where thousands perished from thirst. Survivors were interned in concentration camps — on Shark Island near Lüderitz and in Windhoek. Forced labor, hunger, disease, and medical experiments (skull measurements) claimed thousands more victims.

The toll: Of approximately 80,000 Herero, only about 15,000 survived. The Nama lost about half of their population.

Germany officially recognized the genocide only in 2021 and pledged 1.1 billion euros in development aid over 30 years — a sum criticized by many Herero and Nama representatives as insufficient, as it does not go to direct descendants but to state projects.