The zoo of Augsburg/Germany is planning to open a "african village" with people from africa "situated in an unique African steppe landscape", critically reported Norbert Finzsch, professor of History at the University of Cologne. The opening of the show is scheduled for July 9 - July 12 2005, in an email to our institute.

Even if the show will not exhibit people in cages like animals, but as artisans, silversmiths, basket makers and traditional hairdressers in a village, the are some implications with this idea. First of historical dimension, as the infamous "Völkerschauen" from the german zoo hagenbeck led to the death of many people, caused by malnutrition, bad living conditons and diseases. Second - and this didn't change since Hagenbeck - the displacement of humans in the realm of animals in an atmosphere of exotism and as part of the nature they are living in.

It's remarkable, that scientists at our university are researching the historical dimension of the Völkerschauen in the 19th century while the zoo of augsburg in about 80km distance is carrying on this tradition in the 21th century. See also this paper from Kurt Jonassohn (thnx to anthropologi.info).

But what do you think? Is there any chance to invite african artist to a zoo without making the same misstakes as 100 years before? Is it positive racism that we fear that artists in a zoo get mistaken for animals? I wrote a letter to the zoo and asked them for their view of things.

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