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Swakopmund is a coastal city in Namibia, located 360 km west of Windhoek, the country’s capital. It serves as the capital of the Erongo administrative district and is nestled in the Namib Desert.

Swakopmund is known for its beach resort appeal and its distinctive German colonial architecture. Established in 1892 as the primary port for German South-West Africa, a significant portion of its population today is German-speaking. The city is positioned on the B2 road and the Trans-Namib Railway that stretches from Windhoek to Walvis Bay and hosts the Swakopmund Airport.

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Administrative Divisions

These are the following districts and suburbs in Swakopmund:


Town Centre
Vineta
Mile 4
Vogelstrand
Waterfront
Mondesa
Tamariskia
Democratic Resettlement Community
Hage Heights
Mile 4 Ext 1
Oceanview
Kramersdorf and
Matatura

The Democratic Resettlement Community (DRC) is an informal settlement in Swakopmund. It was founded in 2001 as temporary housing for people waiting for subsidized housing in the city.
Most inhabitants of the town live in the suburbs of Vineta, Tamariskia, Mondesa and Vogelstrand. Both black and white people, mostly well-to-do, live in Vineta.

Tamariskia was originally a neighbourhood for the coloured people, built in the early 1970s, to replace the shacks the coloureds earlier had built between the town centre and Vineta. Mondesa already existed in the 1960s, and it was a neighbourhood for black people, and it was a considerable distance from the town centre in the early days.

Swakopmund in the Beginning

Swakopmund, Namibia, was founded, by Captain Curt von Francois as the main harbour of German South West Africa in 1892, two years later than Windhoek. Increased traffic between Germany and its colony necessitated the establishment of a port as Walvis Bay, located 33 kilometres south, was in British possession. The choice fell on Swakopmund where water could be found and because other sites checked (including Cape Cross) were unsuitable.

The majority of towns and villages in Namibia have grown out of indigenous settlements and very often were located close to sources of water. Names of places given by original inhabitants were very descriptive and in many cases those names were retained by European settlers who sometimes simplified pronunciations of the names. The Nama word ”Tsoakhaub” can be translated as ”excrement opening” which was an offensive but accurate description of the waters of the Swakop River in flood, carrying masses of mud, sand, pieces of vegetation and animal corpses. The masses of dirty and muddy water were emptied into the ocean and the indigenous name described it very well.

The Nama name was changed to ”Swachaub” and with the proclamation of Swakopmund as an independent district in 1896 the present name came into use.

How it Started

On the 4 of August 1892 the crew of gunboat ”Hyena” erected two beacons (one at the present location of the Mole and another at the location of the lighthouse) to mark the landing site. This symbolized the laying of the foundation stone of the town. The first settlers were offloaded from the ”Marie Woermann” (120 Schutztruppe with equipment and 40 settlers) using 4 landing boats. The settlers had to build  ”caves” on the beach to protect themselves against hostile weather. Before the Mole was built all off-loads were carried by special boats which were handled by Kru men (from Liberia). Up to 600 Kru tribesmen were employed by the Woermann Line.

The first town building plan was drawn by Dr Rhode. Because of the lack of building materials mainly prefabricated wooden houses were erected.

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