BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY
African Americans in Germany
The next influx of blacks to Germany came in the wake of the Second World War, when many African-American GIs were stationed in Germany after 1945. Colin Powell, in his autobiography My American Journey, wrote of his tour of duty in West Germany in 1958 that for "...black GIs, especially those out of the South, Germany was a breath of freedom--they could go where they wanted, eat where they wanted, and date whom they wanted, just like other people. The dollar was strong, the beer good, and the German people friendly..." But not all Germans were as tolerant as in Powell's experience. In many cases there was resentment of the black GIs having relationships with white German women. The children of German women and black GIs in Germany were called "occupation children” (Besatzungskinder)—or worse. Mischlingskind ("half-breed/mongrel child") was one of the least offensive terms used in the 1950's and '60's. (More German vocabulary below.)
The next influx of blacks to Germany came in the wake of the Second World War, when many African-American GIs were stationed in Germany after 1945. Colin Powell, in his autobiography My American Journey, wrote of his tour of duty in West Germany in 1958 that for "...black GIs, especially those out of the South, Germany was a breath of freedom--they could go where they wanted, eat where they wanted, and date whom they wanted, just like other people. The dollar was strong, the beer good, and the German people friendly..." But not all Germans were as tolerant as in Powell's experience. In many cases there was resentment of the black GIs having relationships with white German women. The children of German women and black GIs in Germany were called "occupation children” (Besatzungskinder)—or worse. Mischlingskind ("half-breed/mongrel child") was one of the least offensive terms used in the 1950's and '60's. (More German vocabulary below.)
More Categories:A prominent example of a Besatzungskindis Barbara Becker, the ex-wife of German ex-tennis star Boris Becker. Barbara Becker neé Feltus is the daughter of an African-American soldier and a German woman. The model and fashion designer was Becker's wife for seven years and is the mother of his two sons. The couple went through a messy divorce in 2001.
Afrodeutsche (Afro-Germans), Afrikaner (Africans), Afroamerikaner
Blacks living in Germany today fall into several categories. German-born blacks are sometimes called "Afrodeutsche," but the term is still not widely used by the general public. This category includes people of African heritage born in Germany. In some cases only the father or mother is black, with the other partner being German or European. But just being born in Germany does not make you a German citizen. (Unlike many other countries, German citizenship is based on the citizenship of your parents, and is passed on by blood.) This means that blacks born in Germany, who grew up there and speak fluent German, are not German citizens unless they have at least one German parent. However, in 2000 a new German naturalization law made it possible for blacks and other foreigners to apply for citizenship after living in Germany for three to eight years.
Blacks living in Germany today fall into several categories. German-born blacks are sometimes called "Afrodeutsche," but the term is still not widely used by the general public. This category includes people of African heritage born in Germany. In some cases only the father or mother is black, with the other partner being German or European. But just being born in Germany does not make you a German citizen. (Unlike many other countries, German citizenship is based on the citizenship of your parents, and is passed on by blood.) This means that blacks born in Germany, who grew up there and speak fluent German, are not German citizens unless they have at least one German parent. However, in 2000 a new German naturalization law made it possible for blacks and other foreigners to apply for citizenship after living in Germany for three to eight years.
Another category is blacks from Africa, the Caribbean, the United States, or some other place, who are living and working in Germany, sometimes for decades. A well-known African American example is Ron Williams, born in Oakland, California, but unknown in the U.S. Germans know him from his frequent television appearances and his wide-ranging entertainment activities. Williams is active in Germany in combating prejudice and racial discrimination. He has visited over 80 schools for his "Schultour für Toleranz." Lately he is best known for his theatrical Ray Charles show in Germany and other European countries. Before that he portrayed Martin Luther King on tour in 300 cities across German-speaking Europe. Williams, a former GI who got his start as an announcer for AFN (Armed Forces Network) in Stuttgart in the 1960s, is a multitalented performer who sings, acts, plays in a band, and appears on German talk shows. He has directed films and played various roles in movies and on German TV, and has done the German voices for feature and animated films, including Harry Potter and The Little Mermaid. For more see www.ron-williams.de (in German).
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