Lüderitz

History

The Portuguese had baptized the bay Angra Pequena in 1485 but, thereafter, the area did not arouse any interest on behalf of the colonial powers British, Frenchwoman, Portuguese and Dutchwoman. The coasts were practically inaccessible (except for Walvis Bay more in north) and the interior of the country was arid and desert.

In 1883, a tradesman of Bremen named Adolf Lüderitz negotiates with a local leader the acquisition of the bay Angra Pequena, located at the south of future the Namibia.

In 1884, after having obtained the protection of the German government on African South-west, Adolf Lüderitz creates this fishing port which he baptizes in the honor of his family. The Germans get a foothold in the area thus in order to constitute an embryo of colonial empire. They were at the beginning interested by the breeding of the Mouton S of Karakoul imported of Central Asia, which provided dairy products, meat, wool and leather but which supposed especially great extents of ground to raise them.

After the discovery of diamonds in 1909 in the area of Lüderitz, a large territory like the Belgium, located between the South-African border and fishing port, is declared zone diamantiferous and prohibited with the unauthorized people. The town of Kolmanskop, located at ten kilometer of Lüderitz then develops as a central seat of the South-African company De Beers (the city was abandoned in 1956 when the seat was moved with Oranjemund, at the South-African border).

Industry

Cash in the years 2000 ten thousands of inhabitants, Lüderitz is always a Enclave in the diamantiferous zone of Namibia. The port shelters thus almost as many fish fishermen than of diamond fishermen (off the coast).

Tourism

Without having the charm of Swakopmund and much more rainy, the city does not present of it less one certain number of buildings and houses cossues to the frontages pastels as Goerke House (1909) which dominates the city at the side of the church Lutheran.

The majority of the streets (which kept their names of German origin) are not tarred except the main street, Bismark Strasse, which leads to the port.

With the doors of Lüderitz, the principal tourist attraction is celebrates it phantom village of Kolmanskop invaded by sand. The visitors has a presentiment of themselves thus in the old hospital and the colonial houses opened with the four winds. In the surroundings, the visitors can go until Dias Point, a peninsula where the Portuguese had accosted in 1488.

External bonds

Photographs of Lüderitz, Kolmanskop and Dias Not

Photograph gallery of Lüderitz

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