Egbert Geier, Ambassador Gina Blay (M) and Prof. Claudia Becker
The city of Halle and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany have paid tribute to renowned Ghanaian philosopher, Prof. Anton Wilhelm Amo, by renaming a lecture hall in his honour.
The event, hosted by the City of Halle (Saale), drew dignitaries including Ghana’s Ambassador to Germany, Madam Gina Ama Blay, and celebrated Amo’s remarkable legacy as a Ghanaian philosopher whose scholarly work continues to inspire.
Prof. Amo, from Axim in the Western Region, is the first African to earn a doctorate in philosophy from a European university, and he made significant contributions to philosophy, challenging conventional norms and inspiring future generations.
His work continues to be recognised globally, with Google celebrating him with a Google Doodle in 2020.
The event, presided over by Halle’s Mayor, Egbert Geier, and Martin Luther University’s Rector, Prof. Claudia Becker, was also meant to underscore the university’s commitment to recognising diverse contributions to academia.
In her remarks, Ambassador Gina Blay pointed to the enduring significance of Amo’s accomplishments, calling him an intellectual trailblazer whose impact resonates to this day.
She praised the university’s efforts to celebrate Prof. Amo’s legacy, citing the establishment of the Anton Wilhelm Amo Award for academic excellence, a distinguished lecture series in his name, and the renaming of a section of the university’s ring road as Anton Wilhelm Amo Strasse.
According to Mrs. Blay, these actions symbolise the deep respect for Amo within the academic community and beyond.
Ambassador Blay also mentioned ongoing efforts to restore Amo’s final resting place in Ghana.
Supported by Germany’s Federal Foreign Ministry, this initiative—led by a Ghanaian journalist and the Honorary Consul of Austria to Ghana—aims to preserve Amo’s legacy and strengthen cultural ties between Ghana and Germany.
Both Mayor Geier and Rector Becker emphasised the renaming as a meaningful step towards inclusivity, and the acknowledgment of historically underrepresented contributions to academic and cultural history.
Born around 1703 in Axim in present-day Ghana, Amo’s life was one of extraordinary achievement against formidable odds.
Brought to Europe as a child under circumstances likely tied to enslavement, Prof. Amo became part of the household of Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel.
He excelled academically, studying at the universities of Halle, Wittenberg, and Jena. In 1734, he defended his dissertation, De Humanae Mentis Apatheia (On the Impassivity of the Human Mind), at the University of Wittenberg.
His groundbreaking work challenged the prevailing Cartesian dualism by positing that sensation resides in the body while the mind is an active, non-sensing entity.
Prof. Amo went on to teach philosophy at the Universities of Halle and Jena, making significant contributions to academic thought.
However, due to racial discrimination and societal challenges, he returned to Ghana around 1747, where he lived until his passing in 1759.
By Ernest Kofi Adu