Mohamed Husen

Biography

Bayume Muhammed Hussein was born on February 22nd, 1904 in Dar es Salaam (now Tanzania), the son of an Askari soldier in the German "Schutztruppe". Working as a clerk from the age of ten, he served in the German colonial forces in World War I. He was severely wounded and spent some time in a POW camp in Nairobi. After the war, he worked on several overseas steamships until he decided to sign off while in Germany in 1929 to fight for his pension, but without success. At least, his status as an Askari was recognized and he was naturalized as "Mohamed Husen". He worked alternately as a waiter and as a Swahili instructor, educating personnel for the Nazis' covert (yet short-lived) colonial ambitions. Additionally, he appeared in a number of films, mostly playing an Askari. In 1932, he married German Maria Schwadner; they had three children. Already in 1933, all of the family had lost their German citizenship, and Husen's situation under state-promoted racism became more and more difficult. In 1935, he lost his job as a waiter at the intervention of fellow-workers who refused to work with him, and as a language instructor, he never advanced from his least-paid status although being a native speaker. Husen nevertheless tried to prove his loyalty by volunteering at the outbreak of World War II, but his proposal was turned down. In September 1941, he was accused of having an affair and a child with an "Aryan" woman from the set. There was no-one to step in for him, and there was no trial. His wife was forced to divorce him, and Husen was brought to Sachsenhausen concentration camp where he died on November 24th, 1944. His grave is on Berlin-Reinickendorf's Cemetery for the Victims of War and Violence. His eldest son named Bodo died in an air raid, the fate of his divorced wife and of his other children is not known.