Title: The Sound Archives of African Soldiers Prisoners During the First World War: Memory and Linguistic Heritage
Within the Wünsdorf camp, located 40 kilometers from Berlin, thousands of African soldiers were held prisoner during the First World War. Among them were men from various corners of the continent, forced to serve as subjects of ethnological experimentation, without their consent or understanding of the issues at stake.
The Royal Prussian Phonographic Commission seized the opportunity of this multicultural presence to undertake sound recordings, thus constituting a remarkable linguistic and sound library of the world. These recordings capture the intimacy of the prisoners’ voices, revealing prayers, nursery rhymes, songs and exchanges in various languages. They bear witness to the linguistic and cultural diversity of the African continent in a painful and little-known historical context.
The study of these exceptional archives has recently been undertaken by specialists in the field, such as linguist Anna-Marie Diagne of the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire (IFAN) in Senegal and historian Martin Mourre of the Institut des Mondes Africains (IMAF). Their research has revealed an inestimable wealth of linguistic and biographical documentation. Each recording is accompanied by a detailed sheet providing information on the prisoner recorded, the circumstances of the recording, as well as relevant biographical information such as name, first name, date and place of birth.
These data are not only of interest to linguists, but also to historians, anthropologists and anyone passionate about the restitution of memory. They offer a deep dive into the individual and collective journeys of these African prisoners, making it possible to trace their linguistic itineraries, the languages spoken, and sometimes offering keys to finding their families.
Beyond their academic value, these archives constitute a precious legacy of African history and the human tragedy that was the First World War. They give voice to forgotten men, reaffirming the importance of preserving these sound traces of the past for future generations. By exploring and promoting these recordings, “Fatshimetrie” reveals a little-known and fascinating part of human history, thus offering a unique perspective on the diversity and resilience of African peoples in the torments of History.
In short, these sound archives of African soldiers taken prisoner during the First World War constitute a poignant testimony of courage, diversity and resilience, inviting a deep reflection on the duty of memory and the preservation of our common linguistic and cultural heritage.