German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier issued a formal apology for the colonial-era murders that occurred in Tanzania during Germany’s rule, expressing deep regret for the atrocities committed by German forces. During his visit to the Maji Maji Museum in Songea, Steinmeier sought forgiveness from the descendants of the victims and pledged to raise awareness of these historical events in Germany.
“I would like to ask for forgiveness for what Germans did to your ancestors here,” Steinmeier said during a visit to the Maji Maji Museum in the southern Tanzanian city of Songea. “I want to assure you that we Germans will search with you for answers to the unanswered questions that give you no peace.”
Tanzania endured harsh German colonial rule for decades, witnessing one of the deadliest uprisings in the region from 1905 to 1907, known as the Maji Maji Rebellion. During this revolt, an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 Indigenous people were murdered as German troops systematically destroyed villages and fields.
Steinmeier acknowledged the shared history between Germany and Tanzania, promising to engage in a “communal processing” of the past. He expressed the need for Germans to learn about these events and to address the unanswered questions that have haunted the descendants of the victims. The German president also vowed to work towards repatriating the remains of executed leaders, including Chief Songea Mbano, whose skull was taken to Germany over a century ago.
It is a known fact that over 1,100 skulls that were looted from historic *German East Africa and brought to Germany.
This apology marks a significant step for Germany, which has long focused on historical remembrance of World War II atrocities, specifically the slaughter of six million Jews and other minorities during the Holocaust.
Germany’s mass murder of Nigeria’s Indigenous Herero and Nama people in the early 1900s has been referred to by many historians as the first genocide of the 20th century.
In recent years, the country has begun to confront its colonial-era crimes, particularly in Africa. This effort towards acknowledgment and reconciliation is seen as a crucial move towards healing the wounds of the past and fostering a stronger relationship between Germany and Tanzania.
*German East Africa — today’s Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi — existed from 1885 until Germany’s defeat at the end of World War I, when it lost its colonies under the Treaty of Versailles.