page_title: GDR Children of Namibia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: GDR Children of Namibia / History
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Schloss Bellin
context_page_description: GDR-Children of Namibia is a colloquial term denoting black Namibian children that were raised in East Germany, also known as the German Democratic Republic. During the South African Border War, the children of hundreds of Namibian refugees and political exiles were resettled and educated in the GDR from 1979 onwards. They were repatriated to Namibia upon that country's formal independence in 1990.
  Most "GDR-Children" are part of Freundeskreis ex-DDR organization. The official language of the organization is Oshi-Deutsch, a mixture of German and Oshivambo.
context_section_description: During the South African Border War, SWAPO solicited material assistance from around the globe, which they got in the form of education, health, arms and funds. Between 1960 and 1980 hundreds of Namibians came to GDR and were offered academic education. In 1978 many wounded SWAPO guerrillas came from Cassinga to GDR for medical treatment. The GDR offered what was termed "Solidarity Consignment“ to South West Africans. Sam Nujoma turned again to the GDR and other socialist countries after the Cassinga massacre and asked again for children to be taken out of the SWAPO refugee camps for safety, support, and care.
  On 12 September 1979 Nujoma's request was granted by the SED's Central committee. Jagdschloss Bellin, a hunting castle in Bellin, a village ten kilometers south of Güstrow (today in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) was identified as a safe home for the children.
caption: Bellin Castle [de]
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