The Carl Schlettwein Foundation, housed in the "Tscheggenbürlins Hus" at Klosterberg 21, was founded in 1994. Its foundation charter states that its purpose is "to run the Basler Afrika Bibliographien, founded and directed by Carl Schlettwein". In existence since 1971, the Basler Afrika Bibliographien comprises a specialist library and an archive devoted to southern Africa. Its extensive holdings on Namibia are of international renown. As a registered brand name, the Basler Afrika Bibliographien is today an integral part of the Carl Schlettwein Foundation. The Carl Schlettwein Foundation is recognised by the regulatory authorities of Basel City as a non-profit organisation.
The members of the Board of Trustees are: Jörg H. Schwarzenbach, president, Dr. Daniela Schlettwein-Gsell, Prof. Meinhard Schuster, Dr. Martin Lenz, actuary, and Dr. Josef Zwicker. Luccio Schlettwein manages the administration.
Roles and functions
The Carl Schlettwein Foundation finances the running of the Basler Afrika Bibliographien.
It also awards grants to Namibian students in southern Africa and supports selected research projects in Namibia. Publication projects are released by the Basler Afrika Bibliographien Publishing House.
On-going sponsorship
The following stipends, projects and events are among those currently funded by the Carl Schlettwein Foundation:
Assistantship in African History occupied by Dr. Susann Baller (University of Basel), 2008–2014
Exhibition "
Fields of Play: Football in Cape Town" by the District Six Museum. Cape Town, Basel, 2008–2010
Exhibition "What we see" by Dr. Anette Hoffmann. Cape Town, Kimberly, Basel, Berlin, Amsterdam, Windhoek, 2009–2010
The post of guest university lecturer on the literature of southern Africa occupied by Prof. Therese Steffen (University of Basel), 2001–2011
Teaching assigments at the Centre for African Studies (University of Basel), since 2008
4 MA grants to Namibians (University of the Western Cape, University of Cape Town, Rhodes University)
4 PhD grants to Namibians (University of the Western Cape and University of Cape Town)
Previous sponsorship
Since it was set up in 1994, the Carl Schlettwein Foundation has among other activities supported:
Scholarships
over 20 MA grants (University of Namibia, UCT, UWC), since 1998
ca 70 Swiss Awards (University of Cape Town), 1998–2001
ca 20 Swiss African Research Awards (University of Cape Town), 1998–2001
Events
Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Afrikastudien SGAS: "Forum Afrikastudien", since 1996
Dr. Dorian Haarhoff: "Creative Writing Workshops", Windhoek, since 1996
Association for Anthropology in Southern Africa (AASA): "The Challenge for Anthropology in the African Renaissance", Windhoek, 2000
University of Namibia: "Public History – Forgotten History", Windhoek, 2000
University of Namibia: "Tourism in Development", Windhoek, 2001
University of Basel: "Imperial Culture in Countries without Colonies: Africa and Switzerland",Basel, 2003
University of Basel/University of Namibia: "Posters in the Struggle: Images and Audiences in the History of Namibia's Liberation", Basel/Windhoek, 2006
University of Basel: European Students Africa Conference. "Contemporary Encounters: Europe and Africa", Basel, 2007
University of Basel: Lecture series "Great Books on Africa – Africana in Basel",Basel, 2007
University of Basel: "The Secular in the Spiritual: Missionaries and Knowledge about Africa", Basel, 2007
The Carl Schlettwein Foundation Chair in "The History of Southern Africa" occupied by Prof. Patrick Harries (University of Basel), 2001–2008
Centre for African Studies, University of Basel: "Frontiers and Passages", Freiburg i.Br., Basel, 2008
University of Basel: Sightseeing Walk African Studies, Basel, 2007/2008
University of the Western Cape: Anthropology in Southern Africa and Beyond: Connections and Transformations (Anthropology Southern Africa Annual Conference 2008) in Cape Town, 2008
International conference „African Borderlands Research Network“ (ABORNE) at the University of Witwatersrand, 2009
Publications
Wolfram Hartmann, Jeremy Silvester, Patricia Hayes: "The Colonising Camera: Photographs in the Making of Namibian History", Windhoek, 1998
Volker Winterfeldt, Tom Fox, Pempelani Mufune (eds.): "Namibia Society Sociology", Windhoek, 2002
Michael Albrecht, Veit Arlt, Barbara Müller, Jürg Schneider (eds.): "Getting Pictures Right: Context and Interpretation", Cologne, 2004
Sonja Speeter Blaudszun:"Die Expeditionen der Familie Marshall. Eine Untersuchung zur ethnographischen Erforschung der Nyae Nyae !Kung", Münster, 2004
Sandra Bott, Thomas David, Claude Lützelschwab, Janick Marina Schaufelbuehl (eds.): "Suisse – Afrique (18e – 20e siècles): De la traite des Noirs à la fin du régime de l′apartheid = Schweiz – Afrika (18. – 20. Jahrhundert): Vom Sklavenhandel zum Ende des Apartheid-Regimes", Münster, 2005
Terence Zeemann "Finding Feet Conference. Theater Education and Training in the SADC Region, Southern African Theater Initiative (SATI), Windhoek, Namibia, 11–15 May, 2003", Windhoek 2005
Guidelines for grant application
Grant applications are considered at the regular meetings of the Board of Trustees, which are held twice a year.
Deadlines for the submission of grant applications are 28 February and 30 September each year.
