Hereros are an ethnic tribe inhabiting Southern Africa, mainly Namibia. In the beginning of the 20th century the German colonists took over 80 000 Hereros to the concentration camps killing almost 80 percent of the population. The history has not only stayed in the memory of the later generations, but also in the clothes and appearance of the tribe. Hereros took influences to their clothes from the style of Victorian era and German soldiers. More than one hundred years later, the contradiction between the brutal history and the appreciation of the colonist style can be seen in Hereros clothes. Old German soldier uniforms and western women dresses are used daily among the proud community of Hereros. This contradiction can only be explained by the importance of combining their history into the present - regardles of their people's painful memories of the past. The Hereros are proud to be recognized by their attire – the dress they were once handed by the Europeans and which they later on re-customized to fit their own needs to be free and de-colonized.
by Meeri Koutaniemi
Hereros are an ethnic tribe inhabiting Southern Africa, mainly Namibia. In the beginning of the 20th century the German colonists took over 80 000 Hereros to the concentration camps killing almost 80 percent of the population. The history has not only stayed in the memory of the later generations, but also in the clothes and appearance of the tribe. Hereros took influences to their clothes from the style of Victorian era and German soldiers. More than one hundred years later, the contradiction between the brutal history and the appreciation of the colonist style can be seen in Hereros clothes. Old German soldier uniforms and western women dresses are used daily among the proud community of Hereros. This contradiction can only be explained by the importance of combining their history into the present - regardles of their people's painful memories of the past. The Hereros are proud to be recognized by their attire – the dress they were once handed by the Europeans and which they later on re-customized to fit their own needs to be free and de-colonized.
