Basler Afrika Bibliographien

24/10/2026

New entry in our rare book collection:
Italian edition of Levaillant’s travel books

The French ornithologist François Levaillant travelled through southern Africa between 1780 and 1785. His travel books quickly achieved international reach and were translated into numerous languages. Until now, the BAB rare book collection included French, English, and German editions from the 1790s. Now, the collection is enriched by a special new entry: a two-volume Italian translation by F. Contarini (shelfmark A 646), published in Naples in 1834. Aside from its handy compact format (15.5x10cm), this edition is particularly notable for its illustrations: unlike in other editions, the 20 copperplate engravings are elaborately hand coloured. Furthermore, the volume features several illustrations that appear in no other previous published edition. These images have already been catalogued in our database “Historical Maps and Illustrations” (shelfmark RP 7159 to RP 7178) and will soon be accessible in our online catalogue and in PARC as well.

23/10/2026

If you are in Windhoek next Friday join the exhibition opening „Oudjuu mo Shidalelo“

21/10/2026

Check out our Blog post by Siraiyion Kipury where she talks about her experience working on our bag collection

Following our recent exhibition, the VAD conference workshop 'Carrying the Message', and a dedicated session with students from the 'Introduction to African Studies' seminar at the BAB, the work with these unique objects continues behind the scenes: In this month's first blog post, our intern Siraiy...

19/10/2026

Namibian and Southern African Studies Research Colloquium

The next presentation will take place on Wednesday 21.10.2026

“Making the Namibian Journal of Social Justice” by Lucy Edwards-Jauch (Windhoek)

Prof Lucy Edwards-Jauch is retired associate professor of Sociology (University of Namibia). She has published widely on gender justice and is the Editor in chief of the Namibian Journal of Social Justice; established in Windhoek in 2021. The open access journal contests mainstream ideas that reproduce inequality and creates space for critical research, activist knowledge, and public debate.
See https://www.namsocialjustice.org/

Venue: Basler Afrika Bibliographien, Klosterberg 23, 4051 Basel
Time: Wednesday CH: 18:15 / NAM: 18:15

Contact for registration and zoom link:
[email protected] and [email protected]

15/10/2026

Join us this Saturday for a whole day of film screenings and talks in Windhoek and Basel

Saturday provides engagement with a plethora of critical re-assessments of Namibia’s violent past. Desiree Kahikopo Meiffret and Mark Mushiva deploy forensic film analyses in their short films “When the World broke open” and “Swakopmund” and relating to the genocides during the German colonial period in the early 20th century.

Telling “our” stories also features strongly in “Caution Colonialism”, a short film by German and Namibian film-makers and activists Ningiree Kauvee, Elisa Erpenbeck and Mara Müller. They explore colonial echoes in the towns of Swakopmund and Göttingen.

A preview of “Image Restitution” by the German and Namibian film-makers Laura Horelli, Hildegard Titus and Mwalengwa Hillebrecht engages with archives and memory within the context of Namibia’s anti-colonial liberation struggle and anti-apartheid solidarity activism in East-Germany during the 1970s.

The day ends with Alexander Honisch’ portrait of one of Namibia’s most prominent anti-colonial personalities, “Hendrik Witbooi”, with re-enactments by the Gibeon Witbooi community.

Date: 17.10.26
Time: 09:30 - 18:00
Locations: NAM: Space Theatre, UNAM Main Campus, Windhoek
CH: Basler Afrika Bibliographien, Klosterberg 23, Basel

14/10/2026

Join us this Fridayevening for the next film screening in Windhoek and Basel during the Namibia Research Day's

On Friday the Namibian film-maker Laudika yaNdangii and German film producer Daniela Fritz take us on a self-reflective road trip to protestant mission stations, into the archives and religious colonial entaglements.

Date: 16.10.26
Time: 18:00 - 21:00
Locations: NAM: CcHub, Windhoek, cnr John Meinert & Frans Indongo
CH: Basler Afrika Bibliographien, Klosterberg 23, Basel

13/10/2026

Join us this Thursday for the first film screening during this year's Namibia Research Days 2026 in Windhoek and Basel

The Namibian film-maker Desiree Kahikopo Meiffret opens the movie days on Thursday with her romantic feature film “The White Line”. The plot revolves around the relationship between a Black female domestic servant and a White police man in the aftermath of Windhoek’s Old Location police shootings of 1959.

Date: 15.10.26
Time: 18:00 - 21:00
Locations: NAM: CcHub, Windhoek, cnr John Meinert & Frans Indongo
CH: Basler Afrika Bibliographien, Klosterberg 23, Basel

12/10/2026

If you are in Berlin on the 16th of October 2026 join the exhibition opening of "Controversial Kinship. Colonial and National Socialist Violence"

The exhibition tells the story of this comparison in the period from 1900 to 1960. It highlights central themes that played a role in the debate and contrasts historical sources with contemporary as well as later interpretations. With its international focus, the exhibition presents examples from European colonialism and National Socialist rule over Europe. On the one hand, it explores key issues – such as the role of racism, antisemitism, forced labour, concentration camps, and resistance – that enable factual comparisons and the perception of specific features. On the other hand, it examines the political exploitation of such parallels since the 1930s.

Umstrittene Verwandtschaft. Koloniale und nationalsozialistische Gewalt - Das Deutsche Historische Museum (DHM), in Berlins historischer Mitte gelegen, macht deutsche...

10/10/2026

Join the Talks organised by the T-Minors Diversity Politics and the Arts – Gender Perspectives and Post-colonial Perspectives at Zhdk in Zurich
"Facing Reparation - series 2026"

Facing Reparation is about confronting past and ongoing harm. It means to choose to understand instead of ignoring, and to take responsibility in redistributing power and resources. Facing reparation can feel accusatory for some and healing for others. The speakers in this series will engage in histories, responsibilities, and possibilities of repair across cultural and educational contexts. They will address artistic engagement to enable accountability, sustained dialogue and discuss more just and inclusive practices.

Facing Reparation - series 2026 Toni Areal: 16.10./ 23.10. / 30.10. / 6.11. / 13.11. / 20.11. / 27.11.

for more information see here: 👇

Das Programm der ZHdK umfasst die Bereiche Art Education, Cultural Critique, Design, Film, Fine Arts, Musik, Tanz, Theater und Transdisziplinarität.

09/10/2026

👀 Check out our new blog post

"Leadership Transition at the Basler Afrika Bibliographien"

(English below) Per 1. September 2026 hat Reto Ulrich die Geschäftsleitung der Basler Afrika Bibliographien übernommen. Er folgt auf Christian Vandersee, der die Institution über viele Jahre geprägt hat. Reto Ulrich ist den BAB bereits bestens vertraut: Als bisheriger Co-Leiter der Bibliothek ke...