Thousands of Ovaherero and Nama died in the concentration camp on Shark Island during the German genocide. Today, this place is threatened by the planned port expansion for hydrogen exports to Germany, among other things. That is why our partners from the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) are organizing from April 9 to 12, 2026 commemorative ceremonies, protests — including a human chain around the peninsula — and workshops to remember the genocide, under the slogan “Hands off Shark Island.”
Your donation will help finance travel, accommodation, meals, translation, materials, and the organization of ceremonies and protests. This will ensure that the commemoration remains in the hands of those affected. With your support, you will help protect Shark Island as a place of remembrance, dignity, and resistance — and stand in solidarity with the descendants of the genocide survivors.
Donate here under the keyword “April 12” and help preserve Shark Island as a place of remembrance.
Read more about the background and planned actions here:
Why Shark Island is important
Shark Island in Namibia is one of the central locations of the first German genocide. During the colonial war in German South West Africa, the island served as a concentration camp for the Ovaherero and Nama peoples who resisted colonial violence and land theft. Around 4,000 people died from forced labor, hunger, disease, brutal weather conditions, and sexual violence. Prisoners were even forced to prepare the skulls of their fellow prisoners for racist pseudoscience in Germany. Shark Island is a mass grave, a place of trauma but also of resistance.
A sacred place under threat
Despite its history, Shark Island was used as a tourist campsite until 2025. Only the persistent resistance of the Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) led to the end of tourism. Today, the site is under threat: a planned expansion of the port of ǃNamiǂNûs (Lüderitz) could destroy traces of the former camp, disrupt spiritual ceremonies, and endanger ancestors (human remains) in the surrounding waters. The expansion serves oil, gas, and green hydrogen exports to the Global North, including Germany, while excluding the affected communities. Sites of genocide must not be sacrificed to economic interests.
Genocide Memorial Ceremony | April 9–12, 2026
Every year, the Ovaherero and Nama gather in Lüderitz to commemorate, mourn, and resist. The highlight is April 12, which commemorates the Hornkranz massacre of 1893 — the beginning of the colonial campaign of extermination. This year's motto is: “Hands off Shark Island!”
In addition to intergenerational workshops and commemorative ceremonies, a human chain around Shark Island is planned to honor deceased ancestors and visibly protest against further destruction.
Who organizes the memorial ceremony
The Nama Traditional Leaders Association (NTLA) represents ten legally recognized Nama traditional authorities in Namibia. It protects the cultural and political rights of the Nama and demands reparations for the genocide of 1904–1908, in which around half of the Nama people lost their lives. The NTLA is supported by the civil society alliance No Amnesty on Genocide, in which Werkstatt Ökonomie is active.
What the money is needed for
Approximately €9,000 is needed. The money will be used for the following purposes, among others:
- Travel expenses: Participating chiefs and organizers must travel from four regions of Namibia. Your donation will ensure that the organizers and key representatives of those affected can be present! (approx. €2,400)
- Promotional material (banners, signs, flyers): This will help to raise awareness of the political protest against the port expansion (approx. €1,000).
- Translation: People with different language skills will come together at the memorial services. You finance translators so that communication and participation among the different groups (e.g., OvaHerero, Damara and San) is possible. (approx. €1,000)
- Accommodation: Your donation ensures that the organizers and chiefs who travel to the memorial events have safe accommodation. (approx. €2,100)
- Catering: When bringing so many people together, it is essential to provide catering for the invited guests. Your donation will help ensure that no one has to protest or mourn on an empty stomach. (approx. €2,500)
