Army, Navy and Colonial Exhibition

The German Army, Navy and Colonial Exhibition (DAMUKA) took place from 15 May to 15 September 1907 in Friedenau. The exhibition grounds were located in the immediate vicinity of Friedenau railway station and the Nathanael Church. The exhibition was initiated by various Akteur_innen of the colonial movement as well as local companies that specialised in military supplies. The exhibition was intended to convince the German population of the economic benefits of the navy, the army and the colonies. The Berlin painter Rudolf Hellgrewe designed the poster and stamp motif, which shows a section of a fortress reminiscent of military buildings in the colonies and thus referred to a central concern of the exhibition: the staging of Germany as a military and colonial power.

There was a comprehensive range of products on display, ranging from shoe nails to cannons, and were presented in various thematically sorted buildings. Between the machine hall and the naval hall was the colonial hall. In this hall, also designed by Hellgrewe, there were, among other things, the stands of the mission institutions and the so-called 'tropical hygiene'. In addition, equipment requirements for the German soldiers in the colonies, which were euphemistically referred to as 'Schutztruppen', were shown. A semicircular extension was used to present objects from the colonies such as plants, pieces of furniture, wood and ivory. For the design of the country departments, Hellgrewe had painted panoramas with supposedly typical representations of the country. All exhibition buildings were built by the German House Construction Society. This Berlin company specialized in dismountable and transportable wooden buildings and, in addition to exhibition buildings, also offered tropical houses and military barracks. In the outdoor area of the exhibition there was an artificial lake and large gardens that had been created especially for the exhibition.

The programme of the DAMUKA also included a 'people's show'. Under the title "Wild Africa", people who had to remain on the grounds for the entire duration of the exhibition were exhibited in staged African villages. The participants in this 'people's show' did not come from the German colonies, but from Tunisia, Morocco and Sudan. Various regulations at the turn of the century prohibited the recruitment of people from the German colonies for 'people's shows'. German politicians feared that the experiences of the exhibitors, who were exposed to the gaze and desires of the spectators, could have a negative effect on the relationship between the Germans and the Bewohner_innen of 'their' colonies. The 'Völkerschau' was intended to give the audience an insight into the supposed everyday life as well as into the country-typical customs of African peoples. In fact, however, the racist display was primarily about satisfying existing expectations and curiosity.

Elsewhere in the exhibition, the exhibition guests were able to stage themselves as members of a colonial power in a photo studio – surrounded by tents and a replica elephant. In sharp contrast to the 'Völkerschau', the Besucher_innen of the exhibition were able to determine their own staging and presented themselves fully dressed in a colonial position of power. The photo served as a souvenir and advertising medium and was intended to inspire the Germans for the colonial idea.

The exhibition was a major event, but it repeatedly attracted attention due to negative headlines. The press reported on unfinished exhibition areas at the opening as well as conflicts between the management and the exhibitors. Events on the "Wild Afrika" area were also part of the reports. The unauthorized leaving of the grounds of some performers led to a police operation and was racially commented on in the press. The sad climax of these events was the death of Fatuma Bent El Baji. The 25-year-old woman from Tunis died of intestinal catarrh, possibly due to the inadequate living conditions. She was buried in the Schöneberg community cemetery.

This text is the revised version of a chapter from the exhibition "Research Workshop: Colonial History in Tempelhof and Schöneberg", which the Schöneberg Museum showed from 19.5. to 29.10.2017.