Namibia: Historical Swakopmund - Ritterburg Mansion

Historical Swakopmund 

Theodor Ritter was a son-in-law of the Hamburg shipping magnate Adolph Woermann, and had been managing affairs at the local offices  of the Woermann Shipping Line from 1908 until 1912. Architect Höft (who also signed responsible for the design of the Haus Altona and the stately Woermann Haus with the Damara Tower) had designed the residence for Mr Ritter. Notably, it had been the first building in the country with electrical wiring and switches for lights and appliances integrated in the walls. (The Woermann group of companies operated the local coal-fired power station in town, it  had also been one of the very first electrical power stations in all of Southern Africa).

View from Woermann Haus Tower over the Ritterburg Mansion, the empty shell of the customs shed, and a deserted Mole in the distance

The mansion for Mr Theodor Ritter and his family (remember: his wife had been a daughter of the patrician Woermann dynasty) had been built onto the upper ridge of an age-old beach terrace, at the intersection of Kaiser Wilhelm - and Bismarck Straße. Further north along the same terrace, there had been the lighthouse as well as the 'Kabelmesse' (the local telegraph station). A little distance away, the Woermann Haus had been completed a few years prior.

YouTube video: Old Swakopmund:

As can be seen on the historical photograph of the 'Ritterburg', the main entrance had originally been on the southern façade of the building. This explains why the current entrance around the back has always felt like the kitchen servants' entrance - and does not make much sense, architecturally.

The southern main entrance had probably been shut off and bricked in somewhere between 1920 and 1970, when the building had served as yet another boarding school / 'Schul-Internat'.

The persistent southwesterly winds are probably to blame for this, but today there would be more elegant solutions to that.

Note how the building had once been surrounded by trees, probably the hardy Manotoka, Rooikrans / 'Port Jackson', Araucarya and Casuarina trees.

The photograph dates back to the years immediately after the 1st World War.

The customs shed in the picture explains  why the diagonal street below is still known as 'Am Zoll Straße'.

Swakopmund had originally been the main harbour town of German South-West Africa. All the harbour activities were moved to Walvis Bay during the war in 1915 already.

Swakopmund thus remains a harbour town that hasn't seen a single ship in well over a hundred years. And, against all odds, the town seems to be doing pretty well.

www.traveltonamibia.com
YouTube: Exploring Namibia TV

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Telegram: ExploringNamibia

Namibia: Why visit township in towns?

Why visit township in Namibia?

Language

It is a great way to learn a new language or to practice a Namibian local language that you are already learning. You might just receive a crash course on how to say hello in Afrikaans, Oshiwambo, Otjiherero or Damara / Nama.

Food

As Namibia is a melting pot of cultures, it allows for the sampling of various unique cuisines, and townships are the perfect place to discover this.

In addition, exploring new cuisines makes for the perfect opportunity to learn about the local culture and to value that which makes us all unique.

If you would like to get a taste of local cuisine in Namibia, here are a few places you could explore in townships:

Hafeni Traditional Restaurant

Oshetu Community Market (Single Quarters)

Soweto Market

Xwama Cultural Village & Restaurant

Culture

You will definitely experience culture in a township, as it is often exceptionally portrayed through their traditional attire as they maneuver through the local markets to run their errands, as well as through traditional delicacies, customs and their way of life.

As you discover Namibia, I hope you add a township tour or two to your journey, in order to be charmed and simultaneously expand your perspective too.

So, come and enjoy life in the slow lane.

www.traveltonamibia.com
YouTube: Exploring Namibia TV

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Telegram: ExploringNamibia

Namibia: Newsletter of BüllsPort Lodge & Farm

Newsletter of BüllsPort Lodge & Farm | October 2022

As you certainly know, you can travel to Namibia again without hurdles, just like in the time before Corona.

And there has been a lot going on with us, too. In a nutshell:

• Guests from Germany compensate for flight emissions with a "Give & Take" excursion to the ǂNabasib primary school

• the successfully started sheep breeding at BüllsPort will not be further extended for several reasons

• photos and video clips of experiences at the NAUkLuFT can now be shared with loved ones at home from every room at BüllsPort Lodge.

Guests compensate flight by supporting ǂNabasib

"What an experience." "Very intense." "Touching."

The four guests of BüllsPort were visibly impressed on the way back from their excursion to the nearby ǂNabasib primary school.

Two hours of insight into an area of Namibian everyday life beyond the lodges and animals. And a "give & take", in two respects.

“What an experience.” “Very intense.” “Touching.” The four guests of BüllsPort were visibly impressed on the way back from their excursion to the nearby ǂNabasib primary school. Two hours of insight into an area of Namibian everyday life beyond the lodges and animals. And a “give & take”, in two respects.

This is exactly what the two married couples who were guests at BüllsPort at the beginning of September had wished for. “In view of the increasingly serious consequences of climate change, we want to compensate at least a little for the long-distance flight and support a concrete project,” they had written by email a few weeks before the start of the trip.

“We gladly like to support something you do at Büllsport or at ǂNabasib, in connection with the school for which you built the well. If you have any ideas…” The guests had heard about the borehole project for ǂNabasib in April, from BüllsPort’s newsletter.

They immediately agreed to the suggestion to visit the nearby primary school ǂNabasib. The school management confirmed the date for the tour: Monday afternoon, around 3.00 p.m., thus after classes.

Teacher Augustinus Ortmann welcomed the guests, showed them the secretary’s office and two of the classrooms. He described the daily school routine, listed the subjects and gave them examples from the lessons. These included the spelling and pronunciation of the four click sounds in Khoekhoegowab, the language of the Nama and Damara.

There was no sign of the nearly 200 pupils from grades 1 to 7 who attend the primary school. “From noon onwards, they are in the boarding house next door,” explained Ortmann, who teaches classes 5, 6 and 7 in Afrikaans, Natural Science and Social Studies.

The multi-purpose hall of the boarding home (“Paul Peter Land Heim”) marked the end of the tour. The cherry on the top, as they say. Because here, the whole school was waiting for the guests. At least it felt like it. The cultural group led by teacher Petrina Goeieman sang songs and performed dances of the Owambo, Baster and Nama with obvious joy.

Culture Nama Nabasib School BüllsPort Naukluft Namibia

At the end there was a big mutual “thank you”. And a touching handing over of the envelope with the amount from the four guests for the two-hour activity. Which the government school can use for buying additional teaching materials. The state funds are limited and are only enough for the bare necessities.

At the same time, the income is recognition and motivation for the children and teachers to maintain the culture and tradition of their ancestors. In effect, a double give & take.

But that is not all. On their departure the next day, the two couples donated a considerable amount each to the Naukluft Foundation. Founded by BüllsPort and the Ababis Guest Farm, this foundation supports the ǂNabasib Primary School whenever it is needed. Like in March with the new borehole.

Nabasib School Guided Tour Augustinus Ortmann BüllsPort Naukluft Namibia

www.traveltonamibia.com
YouTube: Exploring Namibia TV

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2
Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Telegram: ExploringNamibia

Namibia: History of Gibeon | История Гибеона Намибия

History of Gibeon

Gibeon, situated 72 km south of Mariental and 176 km north of Keetmanshoop just off the B1, was originally known by the name Khaxa-tsus. It received its name from Kido Witbooi, first Kaptein of the ?Khowesin, a sub tribe of the Oorlam. He arrived with his followers in about 1850, shortly after a Rhenish mission station was established. Gibeon has been the home town of this group, subsequently known as the Witbooi Nama, ever since.

The Gibeon meteorite struck in Gibeon long ago. Before it hit the surface of the earth, it burst into many smaller and larger fragments, which fell in a wide stray field near Gibeon and formed the largest known meteorite stray field on earth. The first fragments were found in 1838 and estimated to be 4.6 billion years old. A total of 26 tons of meteorite material was found. Some pieces are on public display in the pedestrian zone of the state capital Windhoek (Post Mall).

In 1863, the Oorlam group of the Witbooi (?Khowesin), who immigrated from the Cape, settled under their captain Kido Witbooi (?A-?eib). The group made Gibeon the starting point for a large number of historically significant events in Namibia.

The upper captain of the Nama, Oasib (?Na-khomab), who lived in Hoachanas, had assigned the field of Gibeon under his territorial sovereignty to the Witbooi and hoped in return that his captaincy would be recognized and his fighting strength strengthened. The latter seemed particularly important to him because 30 years earlier Herero herdsmen had already gained a foothold here with their large herds of cattle, after their home pastures, much further north, were no longer usable due to the great drought of 1829/30. The Nama, however, were too weak to defend themselves against these intruders. So they had to call the Oorlam captain Jonker Afrikaner (?Hoa-?aramab) and his tribe for help in order to get rid of the Herero people. A further reinforcement by the Witbooi could only be due to Oasib, because with their help he wanted to get closer to his goal of becoming the dominant power in all of Southwest Africa.

When the Witbooi settled here in 1863, the place was still called Kowesin. However, the missionary Jacob Knauer (Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft), who followed the Witbooi, gave the new tribal seat of the Witbooi the name Gibeon, after a place near Jerusalem that had an Old Testament significance.

However, the place had a difficult start: in the founding year, a young girl who had immigrated from South Africa caught smallpox. The disease quickly spread across the country, killing 122 Witbooi in Gibeon alone. Because the Witbooi persistently refused to recognize the supremacy of Oasib, he attacked a year later with his allies - the Groot Doden (?O-gain) under Hans Jager (?Aimab) and the Veldschoendrager (?Hawoben) under Karl Hendrik Ses (?Nanib ?karib ?Arisemab) - the place, looted it and largely destroyed it. Kido Witbooi, however, wanted to be better armed against such disciplinary measures in the future and joined forces with the neighboring Orlam tribes of the Berseba-Nama (?Hai-?khauan) under Paul Goliath (?Hobexab) and Bethanien-Nama (?Aman) under David Christian Frederiks (?Naixab). This in turn angered Oasib even more, so that in July 1865 he led a second punitive expedition against Gibeon with his allies. After initial success, however, the tide turned in favor of the Witbooi and Bersebaner; they drove Oasib to flight and were able to take the stolen cattle herds from him. Oasib recovered from this defeat and intended to avenge the disgrace inflicted on him by an all-important third attack on Gobabis on September 25, 1866. The Witbooi and their allies, however, were well prepared and had evacuated Gibeon so as not to turn the newly rebuilt place into a theater of war again. Oasib was so angry that he had the place completely destroyed and the women and children who remained there brought into captivity. This in turn triggered a wave of irrepressible anger among the Witbooi and a devastating attack on Oasib. He fled to Rehoboth, where he was finally beaten by the energetic Witbooi and Berseba. Oasib was able to save himself to Hoachanas, where he died shortly afterward. In the Peace of Gibeon in December 1867, the Nama recognized the Witbooi as the new masters of the south.

On December 31, 1875, Kido Witbooi died in Gibeon at the age of 91. His son Moses Witbooi (?Gabeb ?A-?imab), also 68 years old, became his successor and tried to expand the power of his tribe. In doing so, however, he had a far less fortunate hand than his father and underestimated, in particular, the competition of other captain aspirants - namely Paul Visser, who tried to increase his prosperity through unauthorized raids and to weaken the authority of the captain, and Moses' son Hendrik Witbooi (?Nanseb ?Gabemab), who, after experiencing God in 1880, increasingly fell into religious madness, but nevertheless also strived for the dignity of the captain in the long term. Moses Witbooi tried to consolidate his position by two attacks on the Herero in 1880 and 1881.

Buildings and structures
Gibeon Railway Station is located in the village. The station is a stop on the TransNamib Railway. It is also home to a public sports stadium. The stadium was built in 1986 and fell into disrepair by 1993. In 2003, the Ministry of Sport of Namibia budgeted N$ 450,000 for repairs and awarded part of the public tender to Namibia Renovations, but the company disappeared days after winning the tender and their whereabouts could not be confirmed. As of December 2007, none of the repairs been completed. When the stadium was operational, it was known for its "excellent" gravel playing surface, which attracted teams from larger towns in southern Namibia.

Notable people from Gibeon:

Gerhard Totemeyer, professor emeritus, and retired politician
Hendrik Witbooi, politician
Lucia Witbooi, politician and schoolteacher
Solomon Witbooi, ambassador to Zambia

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

Photos:

1, 2, 3: Railway Station in Gibeon
4: Church, Gibeon
5: Gibeon area
6: Gibeon Meteorites in Windhoek
7: Shops in Gibeon
8. Fish River at Gibeon
9, 11: Gibeon Fort
10: George J. Kesselmann's shop in Gibeon
12: Shops in Gibeon
13: Gibeon & Karibib Passes

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube: Exploring Namibia TV

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio1 portfolio2

Aerial photo/video service/inquiries: info@traveltonamibia.com

Namibia: update from Twyfelfontein Lodge

#TwyfelfonteinLodge #Namibia #Damaraland #Africa #Damara

News from Twyfelfontein Lodge, Namibia

This is to inform you that Twyfelfontein Country Lodge is currently busy with a minor upgrade around the swimming pool area at the lodge.

The new deck is being built to enhance the pool area. The contractors are under instruction to work “quiet” hours, after check out & when guest movements at the lodge are minimal. The physical work on the deck, should however not impede usage of the pool.

It is anticipated that these upgrades will be completed by the end of May.

www.traveltonamibia.com

YouTube channel: Exploring Namibia

Purchase photo/4K video: portfolio

Aerial photo/video service & other inquiries contact: info@traveltonamibia.com