Warmbad, Namibia
Encyclopedia
Warmbad is a settlement located in the Karas Region
of southern Namibia
. It is situated south of Karasburg
at the Homs River, close to the border with South Africa
, and belongs to the Karasburg electoral constituency
.
First occupied by traders, hunters, and missionaries of different congregations, the hot spring
s from which the settlement's name is derived were first exploited at the beginning of the 20th century and are now being developed into a tourist attraction. , Uranium
was discovered in the area.
Climatically, Warmbad lies between the coastal desert and the Karoo
. There is winter frost and very little rainfall (annual average: 96 millimetres (3.8 in)), the mean medial temperature lies between 12 and 15 degrees.
Jacobus Coetzee, the first documented European to cross the Oranje River
into the South-West African territory that today forms the state of Namibia. At that time it served as stop-over for traders, adventurers and large game hunters from the South African Cape Colony
. In 1805 two missionaries
from the London Missionary Society
, Abraham and Christian Albrecht, initiated the erection of a church and a pastor's house, thereby establishing the first mission station in South-West Africa in 1806. This year is assumed as the foundation of the settlement.
These two buildings were the first European-style buildings on South-West African soil. The local Orlam community under the leadership of Jager Afrikaner
soon became angry about the European influence and destroyed both buildings in 1811. Until the rediscovery of ǁKhauxaǃnas
which was built before the advent of the 19th century the oldest structure in Namibia was assumed to be the Schmelenhaus in Bethanie, erected in 1814.
In 1834, Wesleyan
missionary Edward Cook entered the area and erected a new missionary building on the foundations of the destroyed buildings. Scientist Sir James Edward Alexander
lived in one of its rooms during his stay in 1836. In the 1840s Benjamin Ridsdale was stationed here and embarked on several journeys to nearby Orlam communities. He referred to Warmbad as Nisbett Bath. In 1867 the Rhenish Missionary Society
took over operations in Warmbad. A school was built in 1868, and a new church in 1877.
declared its territorial rights over South-West Africa, a fort was built in Warmbad in 1905, and Schutztruppe
soldiers were stationed at the settlement to counter the Herero and Nama uprising
. In 1908 the first swimming pool was built at the |Aixa-aibes hot springs
, in 1910 the settlement gained District status. Still, Warmbad lost its original importance as a stop-over during this time, becoming bypassed by railway connections and new road construction. Many of the buildings began to decay.
Between 2004 and 2006 Warmbad was developed for tourism purposes, with the |Aixa-aibes healing hot spa as the main attraction. The project was supported by the Namibian and the German government and included the renovation of the public bath as well as the reconstruction of some of the historic buildings. While under South African mandate, the hot springs were sold to a private investor for 12,000 Rand
. After Namibian independence, government bought the site back for five times that amount. The springs are now community property again.
In 2009, Canadian
mining company Xemplar Energy announced the discovery of significant Uranium
deposits in the area. Xemplar has since been listed at the Namibian Stock Exchange
.
Karas Region
The Karas Region is the southernmost region of Namibia. The name assigned to the region reflects the prominence of the Karas mountain range in its southern part...
of southern 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 is situated south of Karasburg
Karasburg
Karasburg is city of 4,000 inhabitants in the Karas Region of southern Namibia and the district capital of the Karasburg electoral constituency. It lies at the heart of the southern Namibian sheep farming industry.- Location :...
at the Homs River, close to the border with South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and belongs to the Karasburg electoral constituency
Karasburg Constituency
Karasburg is a constituency in the Karas Region of Namibia, with a population of 16,000. The main towns are Karasburg and Grünau; other populated places include Warmbad and Aussenkehr, and the border settlements of Ariamsvlei and Noordoewer...
.
First occupied by traders, hunters, and missionaries of different congregations, the hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s from which the settlement's name is derived were first exploited at the beginning of the 20th century and are now being developed into a tourist attraction. , Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
was discovered in the area.
Climatically, Warmbad lies between the coastal desert and the Karoo
Karoo
The Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
. There is winter frost and very little rainfall (annual average: 96 millimetres (3.8 in)), the mean medial temperature lies between 12 and 15 degrees.
Pre-colonial period
Warmbad was first named in 1760 by scoutReconnaissance
Reconnaissance is the military term for exploring beyond the area occupied by friendly forces to gain information about enemy forces or features of the environment....
Jacobus Coetzee, the first documented European to cross the Oranje River
Orange River
The Orange River , Gariep River, Groote River or Senqu River is the longest river in South Africa. It rises in the Drakensberg mountains in Lesotho, flowing westwards through South Africa to the Atlantic Ocean...
into the South-West African territory that today forms the state of Namibia. At that time it served as stop-over for traders, adventurers and large game hunters from the South African Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
. In 1805 two missionaries
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
from the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
, Abraham and Christian Albrecht, initiated the erection of a church and a pastor's house, thereby establishing the first mission station in South-West Africa in 1806. This year is assumed as the foundation of the settlement.
These two buildings were the first European-style buildings on South-West African soil. The local Orlam community under the leadership of Jager Afrikaner
Jager Afrikaner
Jager Afrikaner was the third Captain of the Orlam Afrikaners in South West Africa, succeeding his father Klaas Afrikaner at around 1800...
soon became angry about the European influence and destroyed both buildings in 1811. Until the rediscovery of ǁKhauxaǃnas
ǁKhauxaǃnas
ǁKhauxaǃnas is an uninhabited village with an ancient ruined fortress in south-eastern Namibia, east of the Great Karas Mountains. It is the oldest systematically designed and built structure in Namibia, pre-dating all buildings erected by Europeans...
which was built before the advent of the 19th century the oldest structure in Namibia was assumed to be the Schmelenhaus in Bethanie, erected in 1814.
In 1834, Wesleyan
Wesleyan Church
"Wesleyan" has been used in the title of a number of historic and current denominations, although the subject of this article is the only denomination to use that specific title...
missionary Edward Cook entered the area and erected a new missionary building on the foundations of the destroyed buildings. Scientist Sir James Edward Alexander
James Edward Alexander
Major-General Sir James Edward Alexander KStJ was a British soldier, traveller and author.-Background:Born in Clackmannanshire, he was the eldest son of Edward Alexander and his second wife, daughter of John Glas...
lived in one of its rooms during his stay in 1836. In the 1840s Benjamin Ridsdale was stationed here and embarked on several journeys to nearby Orlam communities. He referred to Warmbad as Nisbett Bath. In 1867 the Rhenish Missionary Society
Rhenish Missionary Society
The Rhenish Missionary Society was one of the largest missionary societies in Germany. Formed from smaller missions founded as far back as 1799, the Society was amalgamated on 23 September 1828, and its first missionaries were ordained and sent off to South Africa by the end of the year.The...
took over operations in Warmbad. A school was built in 1868, and a new church in 1877.
German colonial period
After Imperial GermanyGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
declared its territorial rights over South-West Africa, a fort was built in Warmbad in 1905, and Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe
Schutztruppe was the African colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 19th century to 1918, when Germany lost its colonies. Similar to other colonial forces, the Schutztruppe consisted of volunteer European commissioned and non-commissioned officers, medical and veterinary officers. ...
soldiers were stationed at the settlement to counter the Herero and Nama uprising
Herero and Namaqua Genocide
The Herero and Namaqua Genocide is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in German South-West Africa , during the scramble for Africa...
. In 1908 the first swimming pool was built at the |Aixa-aibes hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
, in 1910 the settlement gained District status. Still, Warmbad lost its original importance as a stop-over during this time, becoming bypassed by railway connections and new road construction. Many of the buildings began to decay.
Economy
The majority of Warmbad's inhabitants live in abject poverty. There is no industry in the area, residents survive from old-age pensions and subsistence sheep farming.Between 2004 and 2006 Warmbad was developed for tourism purposes, with the |Aixa-aibes healing hot spa as the main attraction. The project was supported by the Namibian and the German government and included the renovation of the public bath as well as the reconstruction of some of the historic buildings. While under South African mandate, the hot springs were sold to a private investor for 12,000 Rand
South African rand
The rand is the currency of South Africa. It takes its name from the Witwatersrand , the ridge upon which Johannesburg is built and where most of South Africa's gold deposits were found. The rand has the symbol "R" and is subdivided into 100 cents, symbol "c"...
. After Namibian independence, government bought the site back for five times that amount. The springs are now community property again.
In 2009, Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
mining company Xemplar Energy announced the discovery of significant Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
deposits in the area. Xemplar has since been listed at the Namibian Stock Exchange
Namibian Stock Exchange
The first Namibian Stock Exchange was founded in Lüderitz, southern Namibia at the start of the 1900s, because the diamond rush brought hundreds of prospectors to the desert whom built towns. After a few years, the exchange closed when the diamond rush ended....
.