Namibia
Swakopmund
The town of Swakopmund spreads from the mouth of the Swakop River out into the surrounding desert plains. The settlement was founded by German colonists in 1892 who intended to develop it as German South-West Africa`s major port and unsurprisingly the architecture reflects this heritage. Nowadays, tourism-related services form an important part of the town`s economy. Many Namibians and South Africans have holiday homes here and the population swells several times a year, especially at Christmastime and during the local school holidays.
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Swakopmund and Walvis Bay just 30km to the south, have become the country`s adventure sport capitals and between them offer a range of activities to suit most `adrenaline junkies`. Quad-biking, 4x4 off-roading, sand-boarding down massive dunes, and skydiving are among the many possibilities.
Visiting outwith the peak period, however, Swakopmund seemed a strange place to us. Away from the centre in the early evening most of the houses seemed deserted. There were very few people on the streets, no kids playing or dog walkers to be seen, creating a `ghost town` atmosphere. Later, walking back from our meal, the only locals to be seen were a couple of hookers loitering for business at the junction outside our base for two nights, the Cornerstone Guesthouse, at the south end of town.
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For our first evening meal, we had reserved a table at The Jetty 1905, which was we were told, right next to Swakopmund`s famous Tug Restaurant, just a ten minute walk from the guesthouse. It was pitch black and misty when we walked down to discover that, rather than being on the prom as we assumed, the Jetty was situated right at the end of the wooden pier. You couldn't see even halfway along because of the murk.
The floor centre section of the long pier is open to the ocean with a walkway on either side. It was tremendously atmospheric walking out with the rollers surging back and forth below our feet with no sign of a light at the far end. We discovered that the restaurant was quite plush and the was meal superb - we both had freshly caught line-fish as a main course.
Heading towards the lighthouse.
The Tug Restaurant.
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The Tug is Swakopmund`s best known seafood restaurant and has been constructed around the superstructure of an actual vessel, the Danie Hugo. Their website: www.the-tug.com has images showing interior and exterior views of the restaurant as well as the adjacent pier and Jetty. There are also old photographs illustrating the various stages of the Tug`s construction, plus views of several Skeleton Coast wrecks, such as the one shown here. The dining table tops all feature paintings by well known artists.
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The current lighthouse was built in 1903 to replace its predecessor on the Mole which was washed away in a storm.
I think this is a Hartlaub`s Gull.
The Mole, all that remains of the Germans' attempts to construct a deep water harbour in the town, lies at the north end of the waterfront, near the lighthouse. The strong ocean currents continually shifted the sand and engineers were forced to abandon the project. The surviving section is popular with anglers and offers some shelter for anyone who wishes to try swimming from the narrow beach.
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The Swakopmund Museum is the largest privately run museum in Namibia. Currently housed in the old Customs Building near The Mole, the it was founded by dentist Dr Alfons Weber in 1951 which explains the recreated dentist's surgery, just one of several period rooms on display. More information on the museum and its diverse range of exhibits can be found at : scientificsocietyswakopmund.com.
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The piece of crochet work on the right depicts the Austrian steamship SS Koerber which obviously has a connection with Namibia, or German South West Africa as the country was known in the early 20th century, but I`m unsure of the exact details.
I take it the vessel was being used as a scientific research vessel when the Great War broke out on 28 July 1914, as the National Archives holds a document from Kew Gardens, London, dated 4 June 1915 recording the fact that SS Koerber was detained as a prize at Alexandria, Egypt. It requests that any cases of botanical and other specimens from the ship be transported to London. Other documents so held record that the ship`s 35 crew members were eventually repatriated, along with crew from the SS Marquis Bacquehem, after they had signed undertakings of neutrality. |
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Not only did Swakopmund and its neighbour Walvis Bay have large fishing fleets but the latter port town was a major whale processing centre. A series of old photographs hints at the extent of the carnage.
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The iron pot pictured below once belonged to the Damara Guano Company which collected guano and clubbed seals at Cape Cross between 1897 and 1903. This location has the largest concentration of Cape Fur Seals on the Skeleton Coast and is classed by many as a must-see attraction. Up to 100,000 animals are packed into a narrow strip of land between the viewing area and ocean. During the breeding season, huge bulls regularly crush pups to death when jockeying for position or fighting opponents and the carcasses lie rotting until jackals or other scavengers clear up. The stench is apparently horrendous so we were content to view the colony at Pelican Point near Walvis Bay where the above shot was taken. The iron pot below was used by the Damara Guano Company in the production of blubber.
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This wooden jetty at Swakopmund, 300 metres-long and up to 10 metres wide, was built between 1904 and 1907. It was used to land people and goods until the outbreak of the First World War. This basket was used at Swakopmund for disembarking passengers.
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As can be seen below, the wicker basket was the least precarious option when the water level was too low to enable passengers to step onto vessels directly from the jetty. The more adventurous just clung onto the main block and hook of one of the waterfront cranes, often several at a time!
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The notorious Skeleton Coast stretches for hundreds of miles along Namibia`s western edge and bears the full brunt of the pounding Atlantic surf and frequent storms. The heavy seas, constantly changing seabed and dense, persistent fog banks have claimed the lives of countless mariners over the centuries and relics, such as this cannon, from ancient sailing ships can occasionally still be found.
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The model sailing ship shown above is the Santa Maria, captained by Christopher Columbus. Many similar vessels during the same era, some of which were commanded by other famous explorers, sailed up this stretch of dangerous coast during their voyages of exploration.
A timber component recovered from one such ship is pictured here. A surviving wreck from more recent times, the trawler Zeila, lies very close to shore to the north of Swakopmund.
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The cannon barrel shown on the right above was found on the banks of the Swakopmund River, close to where the river meets the sea. It`s thought that the cannonball still lodged in the barrel had jammed causing the weapon to explode. It may have then been dumped over the side.
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The museum at Swakopmund has a replica of the cross erected by Portuguese explorer Diego Cão in 1486. He was the first European to reach this far south on the west coast of Africa. The original cross is on display in the Deutches Historisches Museum in Berlin. Much of the land beyond the Cape to the north is extremely remote and access is restricted. Only those on an organised fly-in safari can visit the extreme north. This old German colonial wall map showing the coastline is also on display in the Swakopmund Museum.
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This rusty sword was unearthed during building work in Swakopmund in 1952, having lain around 1 metre below the surface. Experts from the Historical Museum in Lisbon confirm that it`s a Portuguese piece, over 500 years old, so it is possible that Diego Cão also came ashore here in 1486 and that it was one of his men who lost the weapon.
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One of the most famous Skeleton Coast shipwrecks was that of the MV Dunedin Star of the Blue Star Line which came to grief on 29 November 1942, during the Second World War. She had set sail from Liverpool with a cargo of munitions and a number of fare paying passengers, bound for the Middle-East via South Africa. It is thought that the vessel struck an uncharted sandbank and began to take in water. Her Captain elected to run her aground in an effort to save lives and preserve her valuable cargo, then started to shuttle people ashore using the ship`s motor launch.
Over 40 persons remained stranded on board when the launch failed in the heavy seas. Several vessels responded to the original SOS, the first on the scene being the Rescue Tug Sir Charles Elliott. Several passengers were plucked from the stricken vessel but the tug also ran aground on her return to Walvis Bay and two crewmen lost their lives. |
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The above shot shows Lockheed Ventura bombers destined for the S.A.A.F. night-stopping at Gibraltar during a ferry flight to South Africa early in the war. The shot on the right is a view of the actual plane, stuck fast on the Skeleton Coast.
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A Lockheed Ventura bomber of the South African Air Force (S.A.A.F.) was dispatched from Cape Town and after dropping supplies on the beach, attempted a landing on a nearby salt pan. The surface, however, could not support the weight of the aircraft and its undercarriage became firmly embedded in the sand.
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After four days of frantic digging and on-site repairs, the aircraft was freed and successfully took off only to crash into the sea 43 minutes later. The crew managed to swim ashore and eventually met an overland rescue convoy. They, along with the original survivors from the Dunedin Star (below) made it back to Windhoek on Christmas Eve after an ordeal that lasted 26 days. The remains of the aircraft are still visible and can be visited on an organised fly-in. A propeller from the bomber is currently on display within the Swakopmund Museum.
The museum in Swakopmund also has displays on several other Skeleton Coast shipwrecks including the St Croix II, lost in May 1930. 
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The museum also features a large native wildlife section with stuffed animals, birds eggs, cases of insects and a few large mammal skulls.
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Photography is allowed and a small donation towards the museum`s upkeep from anyone taking pictures is appreciated.
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The Welwitschia Mirabilis, Namibia's most remarkable plant species, is usually found in loose, well-spaced groups on the harsh gravel plains of the Central Namib and western Kunene Region. There is some debate as to whether they are a succulent or members of the conifer family but it's estimated that despite the barren, almost totally rain-free environment, they can live for over 1,000 years. We saw a few during our travels including the one shown above which was growing in Southern Damaraland.
Colonial German history also features heavily as do displays on Namibia's indigenous people.
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The South West Africa Campaign was the fairly speedy conquest and occupation of German South West Africa (Namibia) in the early stages of the Great War by forces from the Union of South Africa acting on behalf of the British Imperial Government. When hostilities in Europe commenced in August 1914, the British government asked the South African Prime Minister Louis Botha (right) if his forces could invade and capture the German colony. South African troops under the command of General Henry Lukin and Lt Col Manie Maritz were soon mobilised and massed along the border while another force occupied the strategically important port of Lüderitz.
The Boer population of South Africa was generally supportive of the German cause as only 12 years had passed since the end of the Second Boer War, in which Germany had offered the two Boer republics moral support against the British Empire. Lieutenant-Colonel Manie Maritz, heading commando forces, proclaimed various regions free from British control and called upon white inhabitant there of whatever nationality to rise up and fight for independence. The Boer rebel force, concentrated in the Transvaal and Orange Free State, rapidly grew to around 12,000 men and the government responded by declaring martial law on 14 October 1914. Forces loyal to the government under the command of Generals Botha (who had been in charge of all Boer military units fighting against the British during the second South African War) and Jan Smuts proceeded to quash the rebellion. |
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The rebellion was suppressed by early February 1915 and Maritz was forced to seek refuge with the Germans. Although receiving lengthy prison terms, the principal Boer rebel leaders were released two years later as Botha recognised the value of reconciliation. Botha's consistent support for Britain during the First World War later weakened his political position and led to unrest in South Africa. After unsuccessfully bidding for former German South West Africa to be incorporated in the Union of South Africa at the Versailles Peace Conference, Botha's health gave way and he died of pneumonia in August 1919
The initial attempt to invade German South West Africa from the south on 26 September 1914 was driven back with German fusiliers inflicting a serious defeat on the Allied troops. The Germans responded by launching a preemptive invasion of their own, which became known as the Battle of Kakamas, and attempted to secure two fords over the Orange River but were unsuccessful. With the border secure, a twin pronged advance was launched in February 1915. Botha arrived at Swakopmund to take direct command on the northern contingent, and a massive build up of troops began with many landing at Walfish Bay ( Walvis Bay) to the south. Various towns and settlements were capture in a rapid advance with the capital Windhoek falling on 5 May 1915.
Having cut the German colony in half, Botha divided his forces into four contingents which cut off German forces in the interior from to prevent them reaching the coastal regions and secured the all important railway lines to prevent the enemy resupply or evacuation. drastically outnumbered, the German forces in the northwest made a stand at Otavi but were beaten and surrendered at Khorab on 9 July 1915. The Germans in the south were forced to retreat northwards towards their capital and into the waiting arms of Botha's forces. Within two weeks the German forces in the south, faced with certain destruction, also surrendered.
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This is a bronze of Otto von Bismarck (1 April 1815 - 30 July 1898), the conservative Prussian statesman who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. He also served as the first Chancellor of the German Empire between 1871 and 1890.
Bismark was initially opposed to colonial acquisitions, arguing that the burden of obtaining, maintaining, and defending such overseas possessions would outweigh any potential benefit. 
Other European nations, led by Britain and France, were acquiring colonies in a rapid fashion and Bismarck, fearing Germany would be left behind, changed his views and joined in the Scramble for Africa. Germany's new colonies included Togoland (now Togo and part of Ghana), German Kamerun (now Cameroon and part of Nigeria), German East Africa (now Rwanda, Burundi, and the mainland part of Tanzania), and German South-West Africa (now Namibia). Germany also acquired colonies in the Pacific, such as German New Guinea.
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Imperial Crests like this one from Swakopmund adorned various government buildings throughout German South West Africa prior to their fall from power. This one was taken as a souvenir by South African forces in 1915 and eventually came into possession of a private collector who donated it to the museum in 1997, after which it was restored to its original condition.
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Above: This is one of 133 border markers placed beside beacons at regular intervals to mark the boundary between Bechuanaland (modern day Botswana) and German South-West Africa (Namibia).
The water container on the left was used by the German Schutztruppe. Display cabinets feature weapons used by the Germans during the Great War and there are numerous photographs from the South West Africa campaign.
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Alfons Weber`s `office`. A foot-pedal operated dentist`s drill is in the foreground in the right-hand shot below.
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There are also reconstructions of an Apothecary and house interiors from different periods...
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The museum also has displays on diamond mining and a small exhibition on the life of Joy Adamson, the author of Born Free.
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Industrial displays include Copper, Diamond and Uranium mining and a feature on the Hansa Brewery along with a large collection of minerals. Unfortunately there were no free Hansa Beer samples on offer!
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Please bear in mind that all my images are subject to copyright. They are not free to use and have been embedded with a digital watermark.
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This is a scale model of the German survey ship Meteor, a vessel designed as a gunboat to serve with the Imperial German Navy's colonial service just months before the First World War broke out. Her keel was laid at a yard in Danzig (now Gdnask) in February 1914 and she was launched in the January of the following year. As lightly armed vessels in such an unprecedented large-scale conflict had a low priority, she was not completed until after well after hostilities ended. The unfinished hull was towed to Wilhelmshaven for fitting out in her new role as a survey vessel and early sonar equipment was added.
Meteor entered service with the Reichsmarine in November 1924 and although commissioned as a military ship, she spent most of her life in a scientific role. On 16 April 1925 Meteor was instrumental in the German Atlantic expedition, also known as German Meteor Expedition, during which time she sailed more than 67,500 nautical miles (125,000 km; 77,700 mi) and took cross sections of the South Atlantic between Africa and South America, mapping the entire ocean. |
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Meteor did not return to Germany until 2 June 1927 and in later years made several journeys to Iceland and Greenland, where she performed survey work as well as fishery protection duties. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the ship was removed from service in early September 1939 but reactivated in 1940 to perform duties as a tender in the Baltic Sea and along the Norwegian Coast. She survived the war and in November 1945, was handed over to the Soviet Union but briefly returned to German service for a few months to perform survey work under Russian Navy supervision. The Soviets renamed the vessel Ekvator and her final fate is unknown. She may have either been scrapped in 1968, or survived a while longer as a floating barracks.
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This War Memorial which stands on the waterfront close to the museum commemorates Germans who died during the 1904-1908 Herero Uprising.
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Another memorial (below) commemorates members of the German armed forces who died during the First and Second World Wars.
