A Ghanaian tourism analyst has called on German authorities and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to urgently restore a historical marker in Berlin linked to the 1884/5 conference that formalised the partition of Africa, after the marker was discovered to have been quietly removed.
The marker, which identified the site associated with the conference convened by Otto von Bismarck, was found missing during a visit by members of the Africa Tourism Research Network (ATRN) and a media delegation attending the international travel fair ITB Berlin.
Emmanuel Frimpong, President and founder of the Africa Tourism Research Network and a Ghanaian tourism consultant, described the discovery as deeply troubling. “At the site associated with the Berlin Conference, a location that should stand as a place of reflection, education and historical accountability, the mounted notice and visual documentation detailing this pivotal moment had been removed,” he said in a statement.
The Berlin Conference, held between November 1884 and February 1885 under the leadership of German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, formalised what became known as the Scramble for Africa. Representatives from 14 nations met in Berlin to discuss colonial claims and establish guidelines for the occupation of African territories, without the presence or consent of any African representatives. The arbitrary borders drawn at the conference continue to influence conflict, governance and economic development across the continent to this day.
Frimpong argued that the removal of the marker represents more than a physical absence, describing it as a gap in how global history is publicly acknowledged and preserved. He noted that Germany has generally been recognised as a model for confronting difficult chapters of its past, making the disappearance of this particular marker especially inconsistent.
His proposal goes beyond simple replacement, calling for the addition of multimedia exhibits, the integration of African perspectives, and the development of educational materials that more fully reflect the consequences of the conference.
“History cannot be undone, but it can and must be remembered truthfully. The site of the Berlin Conference is not just a location in Berlin; it is a symbol of a turning point that reshaped an entire continent,” Frimpong stated.
