Krieg und Gewalt in Deutsch-Südwestafrika: Das Tagebuch der Helene Gathmann 1903-1907

This previously unpublished diary by civilian observer Helene Gathmann, written during the war in German South West Africa (1903–1907), is a rare contemporary account of the first genocide of the 20th century. It demonstrates that colonial violence was not only controlled from above, but was already entrenched locally before the Battle of Waterberg in August 1904. By showing that the extreme violence of this war arose from the specific logic of colonialism, it provides a more nuanced perspective on colonial rule than other accounts and offers insights into the social and spatial dimensions of violence.