Examining the Controversial Kinship Between Colonialism and Nazi Violence

A new exhibition at the German Historical Museum in Berlin is sparking a controversial debate regarding the historical ties between European colonial rule and the rise of National Socialism. Titled "Controversial Kinship: Colonial and National Socialist Violence," the exhibit examines the uncomfortable parallels between colonial exploitation and the atrocities of the Nazi regime, prompting scholars and the public to consider how these histories intersect.

At first glance, the continuities seem striking: racial hierarchies, forced labor, and the pursuit of "living space" were hallmarks of both systems. In 1941, Adolf Hitler famously likened Eastern Europe to "Germany's India," suggesting that the British colonial model provided a blueprint for Nazi rule. However, historians remain divided on the extent to which these systems can be compared. While some argue that colonial practices served as a laboratory for later totalitarian ideologies, others warn that such comparisons risk relativizing the unique, industrial scale of the Holocaust.

The exhibition explores whether colonial history and Nazi violence share roots or remain distinct historical phenomena.

A Complex Historical Comparison

The exhibition features artifacts like a hippopotamus-hide whip from African colonies alongside a canister of Zyklon B, illustrating both the differences and the connections between colonial brutality and the Holocaust. While colonial powers often presented assimilation as a path to advancement for a select few, the Nazi regime pursued total extermination. Historian Edward Kissi notes that while both systems utilized extreme violence, Nazi crimes were uniquely annihilatory, even extending to the forced sterilization of Black-Germans.

Historical figures like George Padmore and Hannah Arendt long ago identified these patterns, with Arendt arguing that colonial practices "boomeranged" into Europe to shape totalitarianism. Today, the "Historikerstreit 2.0" reflects a modern struggle to integrate colonial history into Germany's established culture of remembrance, which remains centered on the Holocaust. As Germany continues to grapple with its past, including the 1904-1908 genocide of the Herero and Nama people in present-day Namibia, the exhibition serves as a platform to confront these uncomfortable historical patterns.

Why it matters

This exhibition challenges societies to address how past colonial violence informs national identities. For readers in India and beyond, it highlights the global reach of these ideologies, as anti-colonial thinkers once viewed fascism and colonialism as two sides of the same coin. Understanding these patterns is essential for those navigating the complexities of historical memory.