Kolmanskuppe
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Back to "German colonial history"The place Kolmanskuppe, approx. 10 km east of the port load-cut into Namibia (ehem. German southwest Africa) convenient, designated after that 1905 Nama Coleman verdursteten there, owes his emergence to the Eisenbahnarbeiter Zacharias Lewala, which found here 1908 coincidentally the first diamonds. The boom released thereby provided for a fast growth of these first only as Diamantsucher Camp thought settlement. The wealth of the inhabitants basing on diamonds let a place, in which all luxury was present develop, which was to be received at that time for money - and in an environment, which can more hopelessly and more life-hostilely probably hardly be thought. There was here no water, no rain, no earth, in which also only the smallest could have grown, no infrastructure - only sand, regularly violent sandstorms and a merciless heat.
Developed nevertheless here hochherrschaftliche stone houses after German model, a power station, a hospital (with the first of Africa, and/or in the whole Southern Hemisphere), an ice factory, a theatre and a gymnasium, a skittle-alley, a school and a all kinds of administrative and office building. Even a swimming pool was to be found here. The water for this and everything that otherwise still was necessary for the daily life, had from that approximately 1000 km removed Capetown to be transported. Building material for houses, whose mechanisms, which machines and all what one came understood at that time in Europe by luxury, from Germany and became usually into load-cut angelandet.
Kolmanskuppe was considered at that time as the richest city of Africa, which may be correct in view of the small number of inhabitants probably. Nevertheless Kolmanskuppe was only "a Paradies on time ": The obvious diamond fields were soon diminished and in such a way continued to shift the diamond promotion ever to the south toward Elizabeth bay, Pomona, Charlottenthal and elbow rock. 1930 were adjusted the diamond dismantling with Kolmanskuppe, the inhabitants left gradually the place completely and left it to the desert. Many furnishings, sport devices in schools were not carried forward only at all.
The desert fetched itself in the course of the decades that back, which humans it had wrung out: the houses purged appreciably and in the ruins accumulated themselves up the sand meter high. Kolmanskuppe was finally a spirit city. Only a zaghafter, first museum traffic being based on private initiative returned occasionally a little lives. Only as into the 1990er years also load-cut an economic ascent experienced, dedicated one to Kolmanskuppe again more attention. One began to restore some receive-worth buildings to furnish areas again original-faithfully and to furnish gradually an arranged museum enterprise.
| Place name sign | Kolmannskuppe of the road after load-cut seen | Kolmannskuppe | Kolmannskuppe |
| Teacher house | Teacher house of the side | Accountant house | Mine manager house |
| Marble bath tub in the mine manager house | Ballroom (building in the center) | Ballroom external opinion | Ballroom |
| Kitchen in the ballroom building | Gymnasium in the ballroom building | Skittle-alley | Skittle-alley, the lamps are not any longer originals |
| Ice factory, the right wall is the wall next door to the refrigerating chamber of the butcher's shop. | Local course before the pop-and-mom shop. Thus the ladies drove to the purchase. |
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