1964. The Cold War is at its peak, the Cuban Missile Crisis has seen a narrow resolution just two years ago, and the Berlin Wall dividing West Germany from the German Democratic Republic (GDR) is not yet three years old. West Germany pressures foreign governments not to take up diplomatic relations with the GDR, which makes it difficult for the latter to find friends outside of the Soviet Bloc.
Then, a revolution in the faraway island of Zanzibar off the African coast opens up a new opportunity for the East Germans: in turn for diplomatic recognition, the Zanzibari president Karume asks the for technical support with the construction of modern housing blocks and wide boulevards in Zanzibar City – just as the ones he has seen when travelling the cities of Eastern Europe.
The GDR has since ceased to exist, but the blocks constructed with its assistance continue to shape the aesthetics of the Zanzibari capital. While the passage of time and climate may have left their mark on these buildings, they are a both a relic of the Cold War, and a symbol of post-colonial architectural cooperation between Africa and Europe.
