Suche
Remembering Bilillee: Cottbus creates a memorial for the prince's slave
On July 9, 2025, a memorial plaque for Bilillee Machbuba will be inaugurated in Cottbus to address colonial violence and memory.
Remembering Bilillee: Cottbus creates a memorial for the prince's slave
In Cottbus, an important memorial was inaugurated today, which is reminiscent of the life of Bilillee Machbuba. The 50th memorial location as part of the “Frauenorte” project sees itself as a memorial and clears up with the light and dark sides of German history. The plaque is attached to the Brandenburg University of Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) and invites you to think about the colonial past and its effects. Tagesschau reports that Bilillee was born around 1825 in Abyssinia, today's Ethiopia, and was sold to slavery as a minor.
Bilillee became an orphanage at the age of about eleven after her parents were murdered. It was brought to Cairo or Khartum several hundred kilometers to a slave market. Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau, better known as Prince Pückler, acquired her around 1837 and often described her in his letters as his "mistress". Her name "Machbuba" means "lover" in Arabic. Pückler took them on their trip and introduced them to European nobles, which underlines how people were treated at this time as if they were objects. The memorial location should not only honor Bilillees fate, but also address the questions of memory and responsibility.
A place of commemoration and reflection
The Machbuba memorial location is accompanied by a project seminar under the direction of Patricia Vester, which deals intensively with the culture of memory. In a joint event on July 9th, the stories of other black or migrant women from Brandenburg are to be discussed. The seminar, which takes place in the summer semester 2025, opens the dialogue about the colonial past and highlights the resistance of the women concerned. Women's places in Brandenburg emphasizes that thanks to the collaboration with the BTU and Prof. Dr. Melanie Jaeger heirs this significant place could be realized.
The presence of Bilille's story in Cottbus is not only a sign of the memory, but also a call for reflection on colonial violence. As BTU President Gesine Grande emphasizes, it is essential to deal with colonial history in order to be able to better understand the current social challenges.
The role of women in colonial history
In this context, the founding of the German Colonial Women's Association in 1907 is also important. This organization, which aimed to send white women to the colonies, wanted to pursue racially motivated policies under the pretext of “protecting Germanness.” Members of the Women's League were often active in organizations that held colonial festivals and fundraising lectures. Detailed information about the women's association and its business can be found at Colonialism encounter.
The inauguration of the Bilillee Machbuba memorial is a step in the right direction to make visible the stories of women who are often overshadowed in history. It is time to learn from the lessons of the past and create awareness for today's society. A good hand for the future begins with examining your own history.