Swakopmund History 1
Soon, a system of rail tracks was laid around the town for the public transport system of horse-drawn
Soon, a system of rail tracks was laid around the town for the public transport system of horse-drawn trolleys. The cost for carrying a person with their travel luggage from the Station…
Swakopmund Namibia - a history part 2
In 1885 a postal agency was opened in the store of Otto Erhard who took on the duties of Post Master. Otto's part time job carried with it a great amount of responsibility for the colony. When a ship arrived with the mail he had the task of sorting the letters not only for Swakopmund , but for all interior destinations also. It was at these times that the locals, all eager for the latest news from Germany, were a constant cause of distraction to the trusted Mr. Erhard, so he made a ruling that his store would remain closed until the post had been sorted without interruption. On completion of this task, Erhard would walk into the street and fire off a rounds from his revolver to announce to the people that they could now come and collect their mail. As the colony grew the responsibility of the Reich's Mail warranted a full time Post Office with an appointed official. In these times the German flag would be raised to indicate that the mail had been sorted and was ready for collection. In 1888 German South West Africa became a member of the Universal Postal Union. The construction of the large double story building to house the Post Office in the then Schlucht Street commenced in 1906, and was opened on 1 April 1907. The event was thought to be of such importance to the country that the street was renamed Post Street. It remained as the Post Office until 31 March 1967 when it was put into commission as the Swakopmund Municipality Offices.
The original (1902) beacon was situated at the end of the Mole and was soon washed away by the powerful South Atlantic rollers. By 1903 an 11 meter high lighthouse was built on the 11 meter high dune that overlooked the Mole Basin. The light helped to guide shipping as far as 13 nautical miles out. The next few years saw a dramatic increase in traffic to the port of Swakopmund and in 1910 the structure was raised another 10 meters, enabling the light to be seen for 35 nautical miles. The lighthouse remains operative to this day.
The Great War 1914 -18: Sadly the expansion was to halt suddenly with the outbreak of the Great War. A British Auxiliary cruiser shelled the town at will causing a general evacuation inland to the safety of the desert. The lifeline of the colony had been severed and the much needed supplies and ammunition were no longer available through the port of Swakopmund .
The South African Union troops entered Swakopmund on 15 January 1915 to find a deserted town. An armistice was declared with the citizens in July and the people of Swakopmund returned to a lifeless town. Gone was the bustling sea port, for the new authorities made use of the harbour facility at Walvis Bay . A terrible depression followed and many people were forced for economic reasons to leave town. By October 1919 all German officials along with their families were expelled from the country. A total of 5781 people had to be relocated.
1923: The ruling authorities agreed on a salvage plan for the town. It was to be developed into being a holiday resort for the people of South West Africa. Swakopmund 's healthier climate also made it an attractive place in which to educate children. Initially South African children were given the use of the existing schools, while the German speaking children were moved into disused buildings such as the Wille-Haus, The Kaserne, The Woermann Haus, The Ritterburg and the Altes Amtsgericht. Separate hostels were opened to accommodate the pupils. The attractions of the climate also found favour with people who had decided to spend their retirement years away from the heat of the inland summer.
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