Otjimbingwe
Encyclopedia
Otjimbingwe is a settlement in the Erongo Region
of central Namibia
. It has approximately 8000 inhabitants.
The Rhenish Mission Society used Otjimbingwe as a central location for their Namibian mission in 1849. Johannes Rath and his family settled in the area on 11 July that year, and the settlement was declared official in 1864. A Rhenish church, constructed in 1867, is still standing and is considered one of the city's main attractions.
In 1855, copper
was found in the nearby Khomas highlands and the Walwich Bay Mining Company established its offices in the city. However the supply had been exhausted by 1860 and the buildings were shut down.
Under the control of Commissioner Dr Heinrich Ernst Göring
, the place became the seat of the colonial administration, the de-facto capital, in the late 1880s. On 16 July 1888, German South-West Africa
fist post office opened in town. However, control gradually shifted to Windhoek
, and the civil administration moved there in 1892. The railway line from Windhoek and Swakopmund
was completed in the early 1900s, bypassing Otjimbingwe, and the city greatly declined in size thereafter.
Erongo Region
Erongo is one of the 13 regions of Namibia. It comprises the Swakopmund magisterial district up to the Ugab River and includes Walvis Bay, Omaruru and Karibib magisterial districts. This region is named after Erongo mountain, a well known landmark in Namibia and in this area...
of central Namibia
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
. It has approximately 8000 inhabitants.
The Rhenish Mission Society used Otjimbingwe as a central location for their Namibian mission in 1849. Johannes Rath and his family settled in the area on 11 July that year, and the settlement was declared official in 1864. A Rhenish church, constructed in 1867, is still standing and is considered one of the city's main attractions.
In 1855, copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
was found in the nearby Khomas highlands and the Walwich Bay Mining Company established its offices in the city. However the supply had been exhausted by 1860 and the buildings were shut down.
Under the control of Commissioner Dr Heinrich Ernst Göring
Heinrich Ernst Göring
Heinrich Ernst Göring was a German jurist and diplomat who served as colonial governor of German South-West Africa. He was the father of five children including Hermann Göring, the Nazi leader and commander of the Luftwaffe....
, the place became the seat of the colonial administration, the de-facto capital, in the late 1880s. On 16 July 1888, German South-West Africa
German South-West Africa
German South West Africa was a colony of Germany from 1884 until 1915, when it was taken over by South Africa and administered as South West Africa, finally becoming Namibia in 1990...
fist post office opened in town. However, control gradually shifted to Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
, and the civil administration moved there in 1892. The railway line from Windhoek and Swakopmund
Swakopmund
Swakopmund is a city on the coast of northwestern Namibia, west of Windhoek, Namibia's capital. It is the capital of the Erongo administrative district. As a seaside resort, the weather is cooler here in December to January so the territorial administration moves to Swakopmund for these months...
was completed in the early 1900s, bypassing Otjimbingwe, and the city greatly declined in size thereafter.