Schuldig, sensueel of schadelijk

De Sarotti-Mohr van de jaren twintig in kritisch perspectief

Samenvatting

In this paper I explore various layers of meanings that Germans used to attribute to the Sarotti-Mohr in the post-colonial period. The main focus lies on the unique status of colonial subjects in Weimar Germany. After signing the Treaty of Versailles, Germany lost its colonies. As part of a wider desire to revise this Treaty, many Germans wanted to regain their former status as a colonial power. This had a unique effect on the representation of colonial subjects in German advertisements. However, the Sarotti-Mohr is also to be acknowledged in its transnational context. Hence, I situate this advertising figure in a longer European tradition of representing African people. This paper will conclude with a case study which explores the mutual effects of the Sarotti-Mohr and the ideal of The New Woman, using Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of fetishism.