Namibia’s Ghost Town Kolmanskop
The last three families deserted Namibia’s famous ghost town Kolmanskop in 1956. Since then, the inhospitable and desolate Namib Desert has done its best to reclaim what was once a thriving town of 1,300 people.
Situated in the Sperrgebiet (forbidden territory). The sun bleached remains of abandoned buildings sit a few kilometers inland from Luderitz, 850 kilometers south-west of Windhoek, Namibia’s capital.
Until 1908, it was unblemished desert in what was known as German South West Africa. Then railway worker Zacharias Lewala found a sparking stone in the sand and the diamond rush was on. Fortune hunters arrived in droves and a bustling centre soon developed. Five million karats of diamonds, 11.7 percent of the world’s total diamond production, were extracted in the first six years of mining.
German Architecture
Large elegant houses sprang from the sand, their truncated roofs and generous windows characteristic of German architecture. It was said that the houses were built only after a pub and skittle alley, the Germans’ favorite recreation, were constructed. Fresh water, brought in 120 kilometers by rail, nurtured lush gardens with manicured lawns, rose beds, and eucalyptus trees.
Providers of basic amenities soon followed—a butcher shop, bakery, and furniture factory. In time, a hospital, gilded ballroom, school, theatre, casino, and ice factory took shape. Namibia’s famous ghost town Kolmanskop hosted the first X-ray station in the southern hemisphere, a necessity to track diamond thefts.
At its pinnacle in the 1920s, 300 German adults, 40 children and 800 Owambo contract workers lived there. Affluent colonists travelled to the town for entertainment and recreation.
The crash of diamond prices and discovery of richer deposits further south led to a quick decline of the once flourishing community. Within forty years, it had died. Desert winds have demolished homes. Fine sands, once swept up every morning, gather unhindered, encroaching the buildings and gradually filling empty rooms with smooth rolling drifts.
De Beers Mining
Mining company De Beers has restored some of the buildings and established a museum, sharing the history of the area and drawing tourists back to the desert. The whole 26,000 square-kilometre Sperrgebiet has become a natural park. De Beers and the Namibian government manage the park. A permit is necessary to visit as access is restricted.
Once an extraordinary, thriving, and affluent community, the desert is having the final say.
Renedian can arrange a Motorcycle Tour visit to Kolmanskop as an optional excursion or part of a private tour.
