History of Swakopmund

History

Introduction

The first Europeans to encounter this part of the coastline were the Portuguese, but apart from leaving markers to say they had ventured ashore, they made no attempt to settle here.

Swakopmund building Well before the Europeans arrived, however, the first inhabitants of the area situated at the mouth of the river Swakop were the semi-nomadic Nama people.

They knew the river as Tsoa xoub, meaning 'excrement', after the mud and debris that sometimes flowed down the river after a flood.

As Swakop is the Germanised version of the original Nama word, the town's literal name means "excrement mouth" ...

The First Settlers

Train on sand The first European settlers in the area were German, who, following the British take-over of the already established port of Walvis Bay, claimed the land in 1892 as the site for a new coastal port to cope with the increasing flow of traffic between Germany and its colony.

Although there were more suitable sites along the coastline, the ultimate choice was influenced by the immediate availability of fresh water from the Swakop River.

The first beacons marking the foundations of the town were set up on 4 August 1892, and the first 40 settlers arrived the following year.

Diego's Cross Under German rule the town developed into an important port, however at the end of WWI the Treaty of Versailles placed German South-West Africa under South African rule.

The harbour was allowed to fall into disuse as nearby Walvis Bay, which had been the British port in the area, flourished.

Ultimately Swakopmund has benefited greatly from the decline of it's own port: it was able to retain it's character whilst Walvis Bay became more developed, and after a period of decline the town has reinvented itself as a tourist destination.