79-520: Pioneers Park (also Pionierspark ) is a suburb in the south of Windhoek , Namibia , in the Windhoek West parliamentary constituency. It was developed in the second half of the 20th century as a white community , with the previous black residents being expelled to Katutura . The suburb is mainly residential, but also contains the main campus of the University of Namibia . Other local facilities include
158-581: A Protestant missionary affiliated with Rheinische Missionsgesellschaft ( Rhenish Mission Society , RMG) who arrived in Gibeon in 1868. Moses supported Olpp's efforts to build a church and mission station, and also helped found an RMG school in the settlement. In June 1884 Hendrik Witbooi had taken over leadership from his father, and in that year he began the first of his several treks with his people north into central Damaraland in search of new settlement. He had just resigned from his position in church as an elder
237-405: A beehive shape. It is a dwelling house for all seasons– it is cool and well ventilated in summer, it is naturally insulated by reed carpets in winter, and protected from the rain by the porous stems which swell with water. All materials are organic and not over-harvested; this is a home that truly respects the environment. Women and men take part in the making of it, in the collection of materials, in
316-592: A cemetery and the Catholic Church of St. Boniface , built in 1928, which is now a national monument. 22°35′28″S 17°04′04″E / 22.5911°S 17.0678°E / -22.5911; 17.0678 This Namibia location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Windhoek Windhoek ( / ˈ w ɪ n d h ʊ k / , Afrikaans : [ˈvəntɦuk] ; German : Windhuk [ˈvɪnthʊk] ; Khoekhoe : ǀAi-ǁGams ; Otjiherero : Otjomuise )
395-521: A deputy officer to Göering wrote to Witbooi inviting him to participate in a conciliatory meeting between the various warring communities in Walvis Bay. With this meeting German authorities had hoped to facilitate a peace treaty, however the Namaqua chief did not comply with the request but instead he wrote a letter in response telling Nels that he will not listen to him. He made it known to Nels that he (Witbooi)
474-730: A few Islamic mosques in the city, including the Windhoek Islamic Center . Rugby union is a popular sport in Namibia. The men's national team has qualified for the Rugby World Cup on seven consecutive occasions, in 1999 , 2003 , 2007 , 2011 , 2015 , 2019 , and 2023 , but is yet to win a game at the tournament. The Welwitschias , who share their name with the national team, has competed in South Africa's domestic Rugby Challenge competition since 2021, and previously competed in
553-843: A group, except for the Namas. Many of the Nama clans live in Central Namibia and the other smaller groups live in Namaqualand , which today straddles the Namibian border with South Africa. For thousands of years, the Khoisan peoples of South Africa and southern Namibia maintained a nomadic life, the Khoikhoi as pastoralists and the San people as hunter-gatherers. The Nama are a Khoikhoi group. The Nama originally lived around
632-491: A mere "tribesman" whom he could defeat easily. He had a notion that his predecessors acted weakly in dealing with the Nama chief and they made too many concessions. François strongly believed that nothing but relentless severity would end Witbooi's resistance decisively. Initially the German official tried to entice with an annual payment of five thousand marks if he would submit, however the Nama chief maintained his stand. François
711-571: A part of Namaqualand (home of the Nama and one of the last true wilderness areas of South Africa) was named the Richtersveld National Park . In December 2002, ancestral lands, including the park, were returned to community ownership and the governments of South Africa and Namibia began creating a trans-frontier park from the west coast of southern Africa to the desert interior, absorbing the Richtersveld National Park. Today,
790-529: A protracted military conflict between the two tribes. However, a few months before the conflict began, Maharero had finalized a protection agreement with officials from the newly arrived German colonial administration. Although he knew about Maharero's treaty with Germany, Witbooi never waivered in his decision to confront the Herero people. Witbooi was campaigning for his tribe's supremacy in the colony and he continued to clash with other tribal communities that were under
869-468: A stone church that held 500 people; it was also used as a school. Two Rhenish missionaries , Carl Hugo Hahn and Franz Heinrich Kleinschmidt , started working there in late 1842. Two years later they were driven out by two Methodist Wesleyans , Richard Haddy and Joseph Tindall. Gardens were laid out and for a while Windhoek prospered. A series of wars between the Nama and Herero tribes eventually destroyed
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#1732858299083948-405: A stylized aloe was the principal emblem, but this was amended to a natural aloe ( Aloe littoralis ) on 15 September 1972. The Coat of Arms is described as "A Windhoek aloe with a raceme of three flowers on an island. Crest: A mural crown Or . Motto: SUUM CUIQUE ( To each their own )". Windhoek formally received its town privileges on 18 October 1965 on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of
1027-468: A year before (1883), he styled himself as a biblical prophet and gained support of the most prominent families in Gibeon. Witbooi established a settlement in Hoornkrans the very same year he moved from Gibeon. Hoornkrans was an important stronghold territory controlled by the Herero, powerful Bantu pastoralists community led by Chief Maharero . Witbooi's decision to expand his influence into Hoornkrans sparked
1106-410: Is connected by rail to: Expanding the town area has – apart from financial restrictions – proven to be challenging due to its geographical location. In southern, eastern and western directions, Windhoek is surrounded by rocky, mountainous areas, which make land development costly. The southern side is not suitable for industrial development because of the presence of underground aquifers . This leaves
1185-664: Is a chief of his tribe who is free and an autonomous man who answers only to God. The German officials did not respond to Witbooi's diplomatic reproach. With the limits of German on full display, imperial officials were at a loss about how to end the violence in GSWA. In June 1888, Göring wrote Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck and described the overall situation as "not very encouraging". April 1889 Göring went so far as to threaten open war against Witbooi and his tribe if he did not halt his attacks against groups allied with Germany. Witbooi's resistance prompted policy makers to seek immediate solutions to
1264-400: Is also celebrated in reverse at the man's family home. White flags are mounted on both families' houses which may not be taken off but wither or are blown off by the wind one day. The wedding preparations can take up to a year. The family of the groom makes a gift to the bride's mother, traditionally a cow and a calf, for she has raised the bride at her breast. A bargaining process accompanies
1343-412: Is subdivided into the following suburbs and townships: Suburbs Townships In many of Windhoek's townships residents live in shacks . In 2020 the city had a total of 41,900 of these informal housing structures, accommodating close to 100,000 inhabitants. Windhoek has over 300 sunny days per year. It experiences a hot semi-arid climate ( BSh ) according to Köppen climate classification as
1422-471: Is the busiest airport in Namibia in terms of takeoffs and landings. This city airport handles approximately 150 to 200 movements per day, amounting to roughly 50,000 per year. In 2004, the airport served 141,605 passengers, the majority of which are light aircraft. Primarily, limitations such as runway length, noise, and air space congestion have kept Eros from developing into a larger airport. Most of Namibia's charter operators have Eros as their base. Windhoek
1501-491: Is the capital and largest city of Namibia . It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around 1,700 m (5,600 ft) above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek, which was 486,169 in 2023, is constantly growing due to a continued migration from other regions in Namibia. Windhoek is the social, economic, political, and cultural centre of
1580-496: Is the largest of Namibia's seven major prisons. Windhoek's three main access roads from Rehoboth , Gobabis , and Okahandja are paved, and are designed to be able to withstand the largest possible flood to be expected in fifty years. Sealed roads can carry traffic moving at 120 km/h (75 mph) and should last for 20 years. In 1928, Kaiserstraße, now Independence Avenue , was the first paved road in Windhoek. Ten years later
1659-451: The Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup . The city has several football clubs which include African Stars F.C. , Black Africa F.C. , F.C. Civics Windhoek , Orlando Pirates F.C. , Ramblers F.C. , SK Windhoek , Tigers F.C. , Tura Magic F.C. , and Citizens F.C . Many boxers such as Paulus Moses , Paulus Ambunda and Abmerk Shindjuu are from the city. The Namibia national cricket team ,
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#17328582990831738-739: The Dutch East India Company , arrived at the Cape of Good Hope with 90 people to start initial Dutch settlement at the request of the company. They found the indigenous settlers called the Khoikhoi there, who had settled in the Cape region at least a thousand years before the Dutch arrived. The Khoikhoi at the Cape practiced pastoral farming; they were the first pastoralists in Southern Africa. They lived beside
1817-469: The Kalahari Desert , the city receives 3,605 hours of sunshine. Precipitation is abundant during the summer season, and minimal during the winter season. The average annual precipitation is 367.4 mm (14.46 in), with lows of 106.7 mm (4.20 in) in the 2018/19 rainy season, and 97 mm (3.8 in) in 1929/30. In 1971, there were roughly 26,000 whites living in Windhoek, outnumbering
1896-621: The National Unity Democratic Organisation (NUDO) with 1,453 votes, and the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP) with 1,422 votes. SWAPO also won the 2020 local authority election but lost the majority control over the town council. It obtained 20,250 votes and gained five seats. The Independent Patriots for Change (IPC), an opposition party formed in August 2020, obtained 14,028 votes and gained four seats. Two seats each went to
1975-559: The Orange River in southern Namibia and northern South Africa. The early colonialists referred to them as Hottentots . Their alternative historical name, "Namaqua", stems from the addition of the Khoekhoe language suffix "-qua/kwa" , meaning "place of" (found in the names of other Southern African nations like the Griqua ), to the language name. In April 1652, Jan van Riebeeck , an official of
2054-492: The San people , who were hunter-gathers. The Khoikhoi had a lot of Nguni cattle and small livestock which they grazed around the Cape. The region was well suited to their lives as pastoralists because it provided enough water for them and their livestock. Initially, when the Dutch made a stop at the Cape on the way to the Indonesian archipelago, they were concerned with getting fresh produce and water for their people. Indonesia
2133-452: The Treaty of Versailles , the territory was placed under a League of Nations Class C mandate and again administered by South Africa. After World War II , more capital became available to improve the area's economy. After 1955, large public projects were undertaken, such as the building of new schools and hospitals, tarring of the city's roads (a project begun in 1928 with Kaiser Street), and
2212-765: The Windhoek Public Library , built in 1925, next to the Alte Feste. The places of worship are predominantly Christian churches and temples: those of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia , Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia , German-speaking Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (all three members of the Lutheran World Federation ), Baptist Convention of Namibia ( Baptist World Alliance ), Assemblies of God , Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Windhoek ( Catholic Church ). There are also
2291-475: The Winterhoek Mountains at Tulbagh in South Africa, where his ancestors had lived. The first known mention of the name Windhoek was in a letter from Jonker Afrikaner to Joseph Tindall, dated 12 August 1844. In 1840 Jonker Afrikaner established an Orlam settlement at Windhoek. He and his followers stayed near one of the main hot springs, located in the present-day Klein Windhoek suburb. He built
2370-406: The 1800s, and this traditional clothing is today an integral part of the Nama nation's culture. The Nama people's hut, also called matjieshuis, is a round hut traditionally made of beautifully designed reed mats on a skeleton of sticks. It corresponds to their nomadic life of the past; matjieshuis is still part of the life of the inhabitants of Richtersveld– a region made up of mountainous deserts in
2449-773: The Eagles, plays the majority of its home games at the Wanderers Cricket Ground . It has also played at other grounds in the city, including the United Ground and the Trans Namib Ground . The team took part in the 2003 Cricket World Cup in South Africa , though they lost all their games. They have played in each edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup . Men's baseball was introduced to Namibia in 1950 at
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2528-463: The German colony were determined in 1890 and Germany sent a protective corps, the Schutztruppe under Major Curt von François , to maintain order. Von François stationed his garrison at Windhoek, which was strategically situated as a buffer between the warring Nama and Herero peoples. The twelve strong springs provided water for the cultivation of produce and grains. Colonial Windhoek
2607-458: The Khoikoi, and seized their lands to construct farms for wheat and other produce, and forced many Khoikoi people to work as labourers. Their livestock was also taken and they were denied access to grazing and water resources unless they worked for the Dutch settlers. During the 18th and 19th centuries, as conflicts intensified and Dutch settlement was expanding and taking up much space in the colony,
2686-455: The Nama and the Herero (a group of Bantu pastoralists), leading to the Herero and Namaqua genocide and a large loss of life for both the Nama and Herero populations. This was motivated by the German desire to establish a prosperous colony which required displacing the indigenous people from their agricultural land. Large herds of cattle were confiscated and Nama and Herero people were driven into
2765-499: The Nama culture, many Oorlams today regard Khoikhoigowab (Damara/Nama) as their mother tongue, though others speak Afrikaans . The distinction between Namas and Oorlams has gradually disappeared over time to an extent where they are today regarded as one ethnic group, despite their different ancestries. In general, the Nama practice a policy of communal land ownership. Music, poetry and story telling are very important in Nama culture and many stories have been passed down orally through
2844-489: The Nama people from summer rain. These Huts are very mobile, but also stable, being able to break them down in less than an hour. The huts are also reusable. They have largely abandoned their traditional religion through the sustained efforts of Christian (and now Muslim) missionaries. The majority of the Nama people in Namibia today are therefore Christian while Nama Muslims make up a large percentage of Namibia's Muslims. In
2923-470: The Nama people in South Namibia have lost their lands during German colonialism. New Namibian minister of land reform, Uutoni Nujoma has been accused of preferring other Namibians from other regions over native Namas. The traditional dress of Nama women consists of long, formal dresses that resemble Victorian traditional fashion. The long, flowing dresses were developed from the style of the missionaries in
3002-708: The National Museum, the Alte Feste (historical) showcases a range of colonial items such as wagons and domestic items, while the Owela Museum (scientific; named after Owela , a traditional game played with pebbles) contains displays of minerals, fossils and meteorites and gives an insight into traditional village life. There are also the Independence Memorial Museum , the National Library of Namibia and
3081-607: The Orange River into South West Africa. David Witbooi was the first Khoikhoi leader to establish a permanent Namaqua settlement north Orange River beginning in the mid-1840s. In 1863, he eventually led his people to Gibeon (south-central Namibia) where he developed a communialist society centered on cattle, trade and Christianity. After his death in 1875 Moses Witbooi (Hendrik Witbooi's father) assumed chieftaincy and remained in that position until 1883. Like his father Moses followed Christian practices and worked closely with Johannes Olpp,
3160-571: The Ramblers sports club in town. The 'Tony Rust Raceway' is located west of Windhoek on the Daan Viljoen road and reopened in 2007. Farm Windhoek , located adjacent to the townlands and owned by the municipality, is a sports venue for hiking, running, and mountain biking. The general institutions of higher education in Windhoek are: Other recognisable institutions of higher learning: Windhoek has 29 secondary schools and 58 primary schools. Some of
3239-463: The Richtersveld National Park is one of the few places where the original Nama traditions survive. There, the Nama move with the seasons and speak their language. The traditional Nama dwelling – the |haru oms, or portable rush-mat covered domed hut – protects against the blistering sun, and is easy to move when grazing becomes scarce. Some Khoikhoi groups including the Nama under the leadership of David Witbooi ( Hendrik Witbooi 's grandfather) had crossed
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3318-433: The Windhoek and Hosea Kutako International Airport to a dual carriageway. This was expected to be completed in 2022. As everywhere in Namibia, public transport is scarce and transportation across town is largely done by taxi; there were 6,492 registered taxis in 2013. Windhoek is served by two airports, with the closest one being Eros Airport , located 7 km (4.3 mi) south of the city centre for smaller craft, and
3397-436: The actual burial. During the first two nights of the mourning, there is singing of hymns, preaching, and praying. On the last day of the mourning and the day of the burial, there are speeches presented and messages of condolences. The grave site itself is lined with brick, and once the body is inside, a wooden board is laid upon the top before it is covered with dirt. This style of the burial site makes it easy for preservation of
3476-434: The annual average temperature is above 18 °C (64 °F). The temperature throughout the year would be called mild, due to altitude influence. The annual average high and low temperature range is 13.4 °C (24.1 °F). The coldest month is July, with an average temperature of 13.1 °C (55.6 °F), while the hottest month is December, with average temperature 23.5 °C (74.3 °F). Due to its location near
3555-510: The appropriation of traditional lands that had begun early in the colonial period. Under apartheid , remaining pastoralists were encouraged to abandon their traditional lifestyle in favour of village life. At the dawn of the 19th century, Oorlam people encroached into Namaqualand and Damaraland . They likewise descended from indigenous Khoikhoi but were a group with mixed ancestry including Europeans and slaves from Madagascar , India, and Indonesia . After two centuries of assimilation into
3634-493: The auspices of the German protection. These rivalries between the Nama people and other tribes posed a significant problem for the imperial government because the Germans' mandate for the colony was gradually being weakened. German leaders therefore sought to bring immediate end to the conflicts between Herero people and Witbooi Namaqua. In June 1886, Reichskomissar Göring wrote Witbooi, encouraging him to end his hostile actions in
3713-451: The black population of 24,000. About one third of white residents at the time, at least 9,000 individuals, were German speakers. Windhoek's population currently stands at over 325,858 (65% black; 18% other; 17% white), and is growing 4% annually in part due to informal settlements that have even higher growth rates of nearly 10% a year. In public life, Afrikaans , and to a lesser extent German , are still used as lingua francas even though
3792-460: The body. Namas have a complicated wedding ritual. First, the man has to discuss his intentions with his family. If they agree they will advise him of the customs to ask the bride's family and then accompany him to the place she lives. The yard at the bride's living place is prepared prior to the future husband's family's arrival; animal hides are laid out in the corners for the different groups to sit down and discuss. The groom's family will ask for
3871-467: The building of dams and pipelines to stabilise the water supply. The city introduced the world's first potable re-use plant in 1958, treating recycled sewage and sending it directly into the town's water supply. On 1 October 1966, the then Administrator of South West Africa granted Windhoek the coat of arms, which was registered on 2 October 1970 with the South African Bureau of Heraldry. Initially
3950-496: The colony. He pleaded with the Nama Chief to return home to Gibeon to be with his father and tribe and live in peace there; he warned that the German government could not allow chieftains who have placed themselves under German protection to support his ambition of driving a protected chiefdom into war. Witbooi and his people ignored this warning and continued his campaign for dominance against the Herero. Later that same year Louis Nels,
4029-492: The country. Nearly every Namibian national enterprise, governmental body, educational and cultural institution is headquartered there. The city developed at the site of a permanent hot spring known to the local pastoral tribes. It developed rapidly after Jonker Afrikaner , Captain of the Orlam , settled there in 1840 and built a stone church for his community. In the decades following, multiple wars and armed hostilities resulted in
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#17328582990834108-426: The desert and in some cases interned in concentration camps on the coast, for example at Shark Island . Additionally, the Nama and Herero were forced into slave labor to build railways and to dig for diamonds during the diamond rush . In the 1920s diamonds were discovered at the mouth of the Orange River , and prospectors began moving there, establishing towns at Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth . This accelerated
4187-437: The dominant mountain ridge over the city. At this time, Windhoek's three castles, Heinitzburg , Sanderburg , and Schwerinsburg , were built. The German colonial era came to an end after the end of World War I but South West Africa , and with it Windhoek, had already fallen in 1915. Until the end of the war, the city was administered by a South African military government, and no further development occurred. In 1920, after
4266-477: The end of warfare, the city has had accelerated growth and development. The city is the administrative, commercial, and industrial centre of Namibia. A 1992/93 study estimated that Windhoek provides over half of Namibia's non-agricultural employment, with its national share of employment in utilities being 96%, in transport and communication 94%, finance and business services 82%. Due to its relative size Windhoek is, even more than many other national capital cities,
4345-518: The expansion of the colony frontier pushed the Khoikhoi Eastwards into the easternmost Cape & the eventual "closed frontier" native reserves (Transkei &Ciskei) and Northwards across the so-called "open frontier" (Northern Cape & South West Africa/Namibia). Some descendants of Khoikhoi communities, including the Nama, fled north of the colony and crossed the Orange River into German South West Africa (present day Namibia ). In 1991,
4424-414: The far right, while younger brothers and their families on the left. There are no enclosures for adult livestock. They are expected to sleep in front of their owners huts. Calves and lambs are placed in an enclosed area in the middle of camp. The huts were lined with reed mats made by women, and the mats are placed on wooden frames. The reeds are able to soak and absorb water well, thus being able to protect
4503-435: The gate to be opened. If this is granted, the groom is interrogated about details of the bride, including the circumstances of their first meeting and how to identify her body marks to make sure both know each other well. If the bride is pregnant or already has children from her future husband or someone else, the bride is subjected to the "door cleansing" ceremony (slaughtering and consuming a snow-white goat). After several days
4582-441: The generations. The Nama have a culture that is rich in the musical and literary abilities of its people. Traditional music, folk tales, proverbs, and praise poetry have been handed down for generations and form the base for much of their culture. They are known for crafts which include leatherwork, skin karosses and mats, musical instruments (such as reed flutes), jewellery, clay pots, and tortoiseshell powder containers. Many of
4661-574: The government only uses English. Currently Windhoek has a population of 431,000 as of 2020. Windhoek is the only self-governed settlement in Khomas Region. It is governed by a multi-party municipal council that has fifteen seats. The council meets monthly; its decisions are taken collectively. SWAPO won the 2015 local authority election and gained twelve seats, by having 37,533 votes. Three opposition parties gained one seat each: The Popular Democratic Movement (PDM), formerly DTA, with 4,171 votes,
4740-418: The instability in GSWA. The Namaqua resistance provoked the German authorities to act decisively, after 1889 Germany's military presence in the colony began to grow exponentially. In March 1893 Chancellor Von Caprivi proclaimed GSWA a German settlement colony. November same year Kaiser Wilhelm II appointed Curt von François as Landeshauptmann . A fanatic, François looked at Witbooi with disdain and called him
4819-615: The local branch of the Affirmative Repositioning movement (8,501 votes) and the Landless People's Movement (LPM, a new party registered in 2018, 7,365 votes). PDM (5,411 votes) and NUDO (1,455 votes) obtained one seat each. Windhoek is twinned with: Windhoek is known as the art capital of Namibia. The National Art Gallery , National Theatre and the National Museum are all located here. Two locations are part of
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#17328582990834898-614: The neglect and destruction of the new settlement. Windhoek was founded a second time in 1890 by Imperial German Army Major Curt von François , when the territory was colonised by the German Empire . Theories vary on how the city got its modern name of Windhoek. Most believe it is derived from the Afrikaans words wind (meaning wind) and hoek (meaning corner). Another theory suggests that Captain Jonker Afrikaner named Windhoek after
4977-491: The next one, Gobabis road, now Sam Nujoma Drive, was also paved. Today, out of approximately 40,000 km (25,000 mi) of Namibia's total road network, about 5,000 km (3,100 mi) is sealed . In 2014, The Roads Authority planned to upgrade the Windhoek- Okahandja road to a dual carriageway. It would cost about N$ 1 billion and was expected to be completed in 2021. Later on, they also planned to upgrade
5056-454: The northwest of South Africa. In fact, this is the last place where we can still find them in significant numbers. In the villages currently in the Richtersveld, the matjieshuis are used as a depot to store, as a kitchen, as an additional place to sleep, or even to provide to tourists, like accommodation. These huts, called haru oms in the Nama language, are made of reed mats woven neatly into
5135-462: The notable schools are: Nama people Nama (in older sources also called Namaqua ) are an African ethnic group of South Africa, Namibia and Botswana . They traditionally speak the Nama language of the Khoe-Kwadi language family, although many Nama also speak Afrikaans . The Nama People (or Nama-Khoe people) are the largest group of the Khoikhoi people, most of whom have disappeared as
5214-554: The other being Hosea Kutako International Airport , 42 km (26 mi) east of the city. A number of foreign airlines operate to and from Windhoek. Air charters and helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft rentals are also available. Hosea Kutako International Airport handles over 800,000 passengers a year. It has one runway without capacity limitations. The other international airport is located in Walvis Bay , with domestic airports at Lüderitz , Oranjemund , and Ondangwa . Eros Airport
5293-472: The past funerals were not a big social gathering. The Nama people simply buried the body and never spoke about the person again due to fear of spirits. Today funerals are social solidarity. The position of the person in the community being buried matters– that determines the burial site. Members of close relatives of the deceased person spend a week preparing the grave site, digging, and using flattened oil drums as sheets. The mourning takes place three days before
5372-421: The preparation of the rugs, and in the assembly of the hut, in a very meticulous process which has remained a true Nama art. Traditionally, Nama camps had 5-30 huts. These huts were circular domes and their doors faced the center of camp. They were also arranged hierarchically; the chief's was placed west and faced east. Other families were placed based on their seniority. Elder brothers and their families were on
5451-410: The raid believing François was still committed to neutrality. Previously Hendrik had scrupulously avoided harming Germans, but now was compelled to join the colonizers in war. In a series of running skirmishes that lasted for more than a year the Namaqua had great success, stealing horses and livestock from the German headquarters in Windhoek. At the end of 1893 Theodor Leutwein replaced Von François, he
5530-454: The second foundation of the town by von François. In 1971, the Namibian general contract workers started from Windhoek with the goal of abolishing the contract labour system, opposing apartheid , and promoting Namibia's independence. Since independence in 1990, Windhoek has remained the national capital, as well as the provincial capital of the central Khomas Region . Since independence and
5609-477: The settlement. After a long absence, Hahn visited Windhoek again in 1873 and was dismayed to see that nothing remained of the town's former prosperity. In June 1885, a Swiss botanist found only jackals and starving guinea fowl amongst neglected fruit trees. A request by merchants from Lüderitzbucht resulted in the declaration in 1884 of a German protectorate over what was called German South West Africa ( Deutsch-Südwestafrika ), now Namibia. The borders of
5688-485: The social, economic, and cultural centre of the country. The University of Namibia is based in the city, as well as nearly every national enterprise, including the country's only theatre, all ministry head offices, and all major media and financial entities. The governmental budget of the city of Windhoek nearly equals those of all other Namibian local authorities combined. Of the 3,300 US$ -millionaires in Namibia, 1,400 live in Windhoek. The Windhoek Correctional Facility
5767-439: The vast Brakwater area north of town the only feasible place for Windhoek's expansion. Windhoek's city council has plans to dramatically expand the city's boundaries such that the town area will cover 5,133.4 km (1,982.0 sq mi). Windhoek would become the third-largest city in the world by area, after Tianjin and Istanbul , although its population density is only 63 inhabitants per square kilometre. Windhoek
5846-407: The wars in the colony. He employed a policy of extermination of the whole African tribes in the colony. The Nama people were fighters in pre-colonial times, the Namas and the Herero people fought for control of pastures in central Namibia. The battle continued for a long part of the 19th century. From 1904 to 1908, the German Empire , which had colonized present-day Namibia , waged a war against
5925-513: The wedding ritual continues in reverse; the bride's family visits the clan of the groom. If all is to the satisfaction of the two clans, an engagement day is announced. At the engagement, the groom's family brings live animals to the woman's family home. The animals are slaughtered, hung on three sticks, and each part is offered to the bride's family. Other items like bags of sugar or flour are only offered in quantities of two or four to indicate that there will always be abundance of food. This process
6004-637: Was appointed to the colony to investigate the reasons for continuing failure to subdue the Nama people. In July 1894 Leutwein asked for 250 troops, with the enlarged army he was able to defeat the Nama people who at the time had run out of ammunition; the English at the Cape and Walvis Bay had refused them assistance. Leiutwein successfully subdued the Nama and forced Hendrik to sign a protection treaty. June 1904 Kaiser Wilhelm replaced Leutwein with Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha ; like his predecessor, von Trotha believed that violence would ultimately put an end to
6083-420: Was founded on 18 October 1890, when von François fixed the foundation stone of the fort, which is now known as the Alte Feste (Old Fortress). After 1907, development accelerated as indigenous people migrated from the countryside to the growing town to seek work. More European settlers arrived from Germany and South Africa. Businesses were erected on Kaiser Street (presently Independence Avenue ), and along
6162-566: Was pressured by the Colonial Society to take action against Witbooi, subsequently on April 12, 1893, he launched a surprise attack on Witbooi and his tribe at Hoornkrans. 214 soldiers had been sent with an ultimate objective to "destroy the Witbooi Nama tribe". Though Witbooi and majority of his male soldiers escaped the encirclement, German troops killed nearly one hundred Namaqua women and children in their sleep. The Namaqua were unprepared for
6241-472: Was rich in crops and spices which could not be produced in Europe, which is why the Dutch had major interest there. The Dutch had enslaved a large number of Indonesians to work on their plantations. In the Cape, Van Riebeek initially attempted to get cattle, land, and labour from the Khoikhoi people through negotiation, but when these negotiations failed, conflicts began to occur. The Dutch settlers waged wars against
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