The Herero Long Dress
The Herero ethnic group was almost extinguished by the German colonizers during the brutal German-Herero war (1904-1908). The surviving Herero later adopted their colonizers’ dress and created their very own meaning for it. Very striking here is the dresses’ visible tribute to the cow, their life-sustaining animal.
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The Herero ‘Long Dress’: Keeping memories alive
story by Sophie Spickenbom.This story explains how the ‘Long Dress’ became a characteristic and important trait of the Herero tribes. The dress is more than just a piece of clothing - it is a carrier of meaning for the Herero. Up to this day it serves as a constant reminder of their troubled history and it is simultaneously a symbol of solidarity and of womanhood for the Herero.
