Seeing Colonial Violence: Film, Memory, and the Legacies of German Colonialism

Film Screening & Panel Discussion: Der vermessene Mensch (OL with English subtitles) 

The Utrecht Forum for Memory Studies invites you to a special screening of the German historical drama Der vermessene Mensch (Measures of Men, dir. Lars Kraume, 2023), followed by a panel discussion with scholars from Utrecht University and invited experts.

Set at the turn of the twentieth century, Der vermessene Mensch traces the story of a young German ethnologist whose scientific ambitions lead him to German Southwest Africa (present-day Namibia). There, he becomes entangled in the colonial project and the violence of German rule, culminating in the genocide committed against the Herero and Nama peoples between 1904 and 1908. Through the perspective of a scientist involved in racial anthropology, the film examines how knowledge production, scientific measurement, and colonial power were deeply intertwined.

The film raises important questions about the role of science in legitimising colonial violence and the lasting legacies of colonialism in European institutions and memory cultures. Since its release, Der vermessene Mensch has sparked significant debate in both Germany and Namibia. While some praised the film for bringing wider public attention to Germany’s colonial past and the Herero and Nama genocide, others criticised its narrative perspective and representation of African actors, raising concerns about historical framing, voice, and responsibility in cinematic portrayals of colonial violence.

Following the screening, an interdisciplinary panel will reflect on the film and discuss its broader implications for contemporary debates on colonial histories and their representation. Key themes will include looting and questions of restitution and repatriation, the power of images, as well as perspectives from human rights scholarship and memory studies.

Panel Speakers
Amr Mazouk (Criminology & Law Department, Utrecht University)
Lennart Bolliger (History of IR, Utrecht University)
Agata Nguyen Chuong (Forensic Architecture, London)
Britta Schilling (Cultural History, Utrecht University)
Brianne McGonigle Leyh (Law Department, Utrecht University)

Organisation and Moderation
Susanne Knittel (Comparative Literature, Utrecht University)
Diana Miryong Natermann (History of IR, Utrecht University)

Attendance is free of charge, but registration is required.
Please register by sending an email to utrechtmemorystudies@uu.nl.