![]() Gondwana History Overview This column is a selection of memorable glimpses of Namibia’s past. Gondwana publishes these and other stories in a series of small books, available at Gondwana's accommodation facilities. The peculiar Tower of Tiras - 10 April 2012 Anyone travelling on the gravel road from Aus to Helmeringhausen cannot fail to notice it: the gigantic tower made of steel tubes and wire ropes which rises from the plain. Who built this tower - and why? Twyfelfontein: The Fountain of Doubt - 24 March 2012 Long before the Twyfelfontein engravings became a popular tourist destination, the land was visited sporadically by Damara people watering their animals at a trickling spring. It was named Twyfelfontein by the farmer David Levin. Warmbad’s Mission House: the oldest Building - 14 February 2012 Little does the uninformed visitor realize, which fascinating history lies hidden behind the white washed walls of the old mission house in Warmbad. Its old base walls and foundations make this house the oldest existing building in Namibia. The Order of Hildegard: Iron Cross made of Cloth - 17 January 2012 The Order of Hildegard is a military decoration which was awarded by Imperial Germany exclusively in the colony of German South West Africa. This order became the only officially recognized cloth variety of the Iron Cross. Curt von François leaves noteworthy Legacy - 23 December 2011 On 28 December 1931 the former Reichskommissar and Landeshauptmann of German South West Africa, Curt von François, died at the age of 79. He only spent five years of his life in South West Africa but left a remarkable legacy. Brandberg Pioneer discovers the White Lady - 25 November 2011 Reinhard Maack was the first European to conquer the highest peak in Namibia: Königstein (2573 m) in the Brandberg massif. He also discovered the famous White Lady. Black Rock – Monument for a Misunderstanding - 23 September 2011 The former ox wagon route from Windhoek to Seeis passes a rock with "Schwarze Klippe 14.2.04" written on it. Hardly anyone knows that in 1904 German soldiers accidentally shot at their comrades close to this rock. The wild Horses of the Fish River Canyon - 5 August 2011 Wild horses are often encountered by hikers in the Fish River Canyon; exquisite apparitions seen as you turn a bend in the canyon, when the heat dazzles and the green reeds and birdsong offer cool respite from long hiking days. Row of Palm Trees a Reminder of a full Farmer’s Life – 20 June 2011 Strydom van der Wath felt a strong connection to the soil on which he grew up. He died on 16 June 2011. With his ‘green fingers’ he created the enchanting atmosphere of the Kalahari Farmhouse. An obituary… A delightfully African bar - 3 June 2011 Guests of Etosha Safari Camp are totally taken by the restaurant and bar which are styled like a typical African shebeen. But actually shebeens are from Ireland... Rinderpest paralyses Transport System - 13 April 2011 Some 115 years ago, in 1896, rinderpest broke out in the Zambezi River region and spread through southern Africa like wildfire. The cattle plague spread to Namibia, then the German colony of South West Africa, in early April 1897. Rush for new Rand Notes - 14 February 2011 Today 50 years ago a new currency was introduced in South Africa and Namibia: Rand and Cent gradually replaced Pound, Shilling and Pence as legal tender. The name ‘Rand’ is short for the Witwatersrand. Lonely Grave on the other Side of the Kunene River - 3 December 2010 Tens of thousands of visitors to Etosha National Park pass through a gate named after Swedish explorer Charles John Andersson. His grave, however, had fallen into oblivion for a long time. Cañon Lodge celebrates Centenary - 16 September 2010 The lodge isn't 100 years old yet, of course, but the main building was constructed exactly one century ago. The Cañon Lodge, for its part, celebrates its 15th birthday. With three Vespas through the Fish River Canyon - 15 June 2010 During the fifties and sixties a scooter from Italy conquers the world – the Vespa. Three of them even make it into the Fish River Canyon; one of them is still there today. A new story gets published here every month. Subscribe to our Gondwana Tracks! |
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