Swakopmund

Swakopmund is a Seaside resort of the Namibia located on the Atlantic coast, created in 1892 by colonists German S to about fifty kilometers in the north of the large Namibian port of Walvis Bay.

It counts in the neighborhoods 35 000 inhabitants. It is undoubtedly the town of Namibia where one speaks German (important Germanic community) and Afrikaans. She is regarded besides as the whitest city of Africa.

History

In the beginning, nomads lived in the valley of Swakop. The Hereros of the Tjiponda chief also crossed the area and had baptized Otjozondjii, the mouth of current the Swakop river. Other ethnicities visited the site without settling there including American Baleinier S with the beginning of the year 1800.

The first writings on the valley of Swakop go up with 1793. The Exploring Sebastian van Reenen and the hunter Pieter Pienaar décrivèrent an important luxuriant vegetation with the mouth of Swakop, the presence of elephant S and Rhinocéros.

Before taking the final name of Swakop, the river was still called " Rhine" , baptized thus by a missionary then " Somerset River" in 1845.

The name of Swakop comes from " Tsoakhaub" , a name nama meaning excrement and anus literally. The river in fact was strewn with remains of plants, animalist excrements and corpses of animals in putrefaction. The name nama becomes " Swachaub" for the German first colonist S. In 1884, the German drain-hole " Wolf" the flag of the Reich to the mouth of the river hoisted. Ludwig Koch, representative of Adolf Lüderitz, then signed an instrument of transfer of the central coast with Piet Haibib, a local leader.

Swakopmund is officially founded the August 4th 1892 when the captain Curt von François makes set up the first infrastructures. It was intended to become the principal port of the colony since the water port deep of Walvis Bay, with thirty kilometers in the south, was a British possession managed by the Colonie of the Cape.

The first colonists are then 120 German soldiers and 40 civilians. It returns to them déceloppement to build the first infrastructures necessary to economic of the city.

In 1896, Swakopmund became a district of the South-western German African and the Woermann maritime company established a semi-monthly connection between the Germany and Swakopmund (which will become monthly starting from 1899).

The city develops quickly thanks to industrial fishings. Of 32 residents in 1895 with 617 in 1902, the city reaches 2792 inhabitants in 1910.

In 1909, Swakopmund was one of the six German colonial cities to acquire the statute of municipality.

In 1914, the construction of a metal pier began to replace that out of wood. it was stopped by the beginnings of the First World War. Swakopmund was attacked by the marine Britannique. The city was then evacuated.

In January 1915, it is occupied by the troops of the Union of South Africa. It is only in July 1915 that Swakopmunders obtain the authorization to on their premises come. Henceforth managed by the South Africa, the activities of the port of Swakopmund were transferred to Walvis Bay just like the services from the central administration. The economic consequences for Swakopmund are dramatic. The city loses inhabitants and the trade close the ones after the others.

In October 1923, paragraph 8 of the Accord of London seals the future of Swakopmund, henceforth intended to become a seaside resort. The creation of adequate infrastuctures is financed by the government. The port area is then transformed into sea front with beach, walk, houses of music and restaurants. The economic activity is started again.

Swakopmund becomes then the first seaside resort and vacation village of the South-western African. After the Second world war, it becomes a destination appraisal of the South-African ones. The equipment of the city is developed (Olympic swimming pool, hotel trade, rooms of host, stores…).

The discovery of Uranium to Rössing, to 70 km of the city, and the exploitation of the mine also contributed to the economic development of the city and its infrasctructures to do of them one of most modern of Namibia.

After independence in 1990, the city confirms its international tourist vocation and becomes one of the favorite destinations of German in Africa.

It is in 1992 that Swakopmund had its first black mayor.

Seaside resort

Luxurious seaside resort for the European and South-African tourists, it is a point of required passage between the dunes of the Désert of Namib and the Côte of the skeletons and the north of the country. The city lends itself little to the bathe because of a particularly cold water and presence of many sharks, throughout the Namibian coast.

The attraction of the east city its Germanic architecture of the edge of the Baltic of the beginning of the 20th century, its walks when it is good to stroll or pastry makings of Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse. Swakopmund and its streets with the German names a long time appeared to be an anachronistic aberration. Located not only in Africa but also in the middle of the Deserted . It became its principal tourist attraction about it. With the beginning of the year 2001, Swakopmund was about to lose its German heart when the municipal authorities made rename about fifteen streets of the center town, denaturing the report/ratio so particular that there was between architecture and toponymy but the majority of the old names always has course among the residents.

The building more symbolic system of Swakopmund is the Hohenzollern building dominated by a Atlas supporting the world.

Not to also miss, the prinzessin Rupprecht Heim on Lazarett St, Woermann Haus (1905), the inn of youth, the church Lutheran (1911) on Post Street, the court, the station (1901), the buildings of Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse (Sam Nujoma Avenue), Arnold Shad Parades, the old metal Pier of 1915….

In the south of the city, a beautiful asphalt road joined Walvis Bay while an other allows excursions in the area (Cape Cross-country race, Moonlandscape, Vallée of the Welwitschia). Not far, one can finally return visit to a very important colony of seals (200 approximately 000).

Toponymy

Since 2001, certain streets of the downtown area to the German names or afrikaners were or will be renamed:

Kaiser Wilhelm Strasse: Sam Nujoma Which occurred
Post Strasse: Daniel Tjongarero Street
Briete Strasse: Nathaniel Maxuilili Street
Nordring/Sudring: Moses Garoëb Street
Mittel/Garrison/Molkte Str. : Tobias Hainyeko Str.
Brucken Strasse: Albertina Amathila Avenue
Lazarett Strasse: Anton Lubowski Avenue
Schlosser Strasse: Mandume Ya Ndemafayo Street
Winter Strasse: Nelson Mandela Which occurred
Feld Strasse: Hidipo Hamutenya Avenue
Schul/Roon Strasse: Hendrik Witbooi Street.
Banhof Strasse: Theo-Ben Gurirab Avenue
Louis Botha Strasse/Dante Avenue: Vrede Rede AV
Kolonel/Knobloch/Strasse Garrison: Rakota Street
Mosely Ave. /Uraan Strasse: Franzizka Van Neel Str.

External bond

Site of Swakopmund

Photographs of Swakopmund and its surroundings

Random links: