A Forgotten Fabric From German Colonial History in Kamerun: The Case of Hina Fabric
By Salomé Soloum. Among the numerous objects violently uprooted from their original contexts during the German colonization of Kamerun (present-day Cameroon), one artifact holds particular significance: a textile from Hina,in the Far North region. Deceptively modest in appearance, woven from cotton and now faded with time, the cloth bears a crucial inscription: “C.V. Krogh” and the number “516.’’ These markings constitute tangible evidence of a contested appropriation, prompting critical questions about its removal. This article argues that simple textile fragments, no less than iconic masks or regalia, offer a critical lens for analyzing the mechanisms of colonial plunder.


