In retaliation, the German military administration led by Lothar von Trotha called for the extermination of the population in response.

After the war, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to transfer its territory to the Union of South Africa in 1920, which at the time was a self-governing dominion of the British Empire.

Namibian independence coincided with German reunification in October of that same year with both nations establishing diplomatic relations.

[6] In August 2004, German minister for development, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, recognized Germany's historical and moral responsibility for the genocide of the Herero and Nama people after 100 years.

[6] In May 2021, both countries announced that an agreement has been reached in which Germany recognizes the atrocities committed against the Herero and Nama people in the early 1900s as genocide.

The German government pledged to spend €1.1 billion over 30 years for infrastructure and development aid in Namibia.

[11] In August 2021, the two countries signed a joint declaration of intent (JCoI) in order to establish a green hydrogen partnership.

[12] In May 2023, a Namibian company, Hyphen Hydrogen Energy, which is a subsidiary of Germany-headquartered Enertrag, agreed a $10 billion green hydrogen project with the Namibian government to export its production to Europe once built in the Tsau ǁKhaeb Sperrgebiet National Park.