Lüderitz
The work Lüderitz is set in two places, 12,000 kilometers apart, that share the same name: Lüderitz in central Germany and Lüderitz in southwestern Namibia. The former is the origin of the von Lüderitz family, from which the merchant Adolf Lüderitz later emerged. In 1883, he laid the foundation for the colonization of what is now Namibia by fraudulently acquiring land. The starting point was a place named after him: Lüderitz. From then on, it was intended as a new home for German settlers who followed colonial promises of wealth and land in what was then called German South West Africa. Until 1915, the region was under the violent “protection” of the German Reich, serving both as a site of rich diamond deposits and the location of the first genocide of the 20th century.
Lüderitz weaves condensed shots of landscapes, architecture, and portraits with archival photographs. Colonial buildings amid barren rocks contrast with rural Germany, reshaping the connection between German notions of home and Namibia’s colonial past. By juxtaposing the past, post-colonial present, and future, the work fosters a multidirectional remembrance, making history’s impact visible today.
Find out more:
Website: timgassauer.com
Instagram: @timgassauer
