Black German history spans centuries of migration, family life, intellectual work, art, colonial encounters, persecution and community building. These guides bring together different periods and places, with citations and links for further reading. Earlier histories are situated in German-speaking Europe before the modern German nation-state.

Explore by period and theme

• Medieval & Early Modern Europe — Saint Maurice, Parzival, documented Black lives and Anton Wilhelm Amo’s Enlightenment philosophy.
• World War I — Black life in Germany, African colonial soldiers and the aftermath of war.
• The Nazi Period — racial persecution, survival and Black German testimony.
• Postwar Adoptions — an overview linking histories in the United States, Denmark and Austria.
• Black Life in the GDR — Black experiences in East Germany and transnational connections.
• Germany & Namibia — colonial histories, descendants, children and the work of recognition.

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BGHRA Digital Archive brings together conference recordings and historical materials for research, teaching and community memory.

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Books & Reading · Films & Viewing · Organizations & Projects