Windhoek - A brief city guide
Leseprobe
Leseprobe:
Alte Feste:
Erected: 1890-1893, laying of cornerstone on 18 October 1890.
Architect: Gustav Tünschel (1866-1952). Architect Gottlieb Redecker (1871-1945) changed the Feste to its current shape in 1901.
Background: In 1888 Maharero (died in 1890), the Herero-Chief, terminated the so-called protection treaty with the German Reich, which led the Reich Commissioner Dr Heinrich Göring (1838-1913) to leave Otjimbingwe. In order to establish law and order, the German Government in Berlin sent a Schutztruppe under the command of Captain Curt von François (1852-1931) to the Schutzgebiet. Von François stayed in Otjimbingwe for a while before settling in Tsaobis where he erected a small fort called Wilhelmsfeste. After Maharero again consented to the German protection treaty in May 1890, von François and his troops headed for Windhoek. After having sojourned at the Françoisfeste (at Heusis in Khomashochland) for a while, he arrived in Windhoek and on 18 October 1890 commenced with the construction of the Feste. The foundations were constructed by using slate from the entrenchments dating from Jonker Afrikaner’s time (1790-1861). Each week 20 000 bricks were baked in a single baking furnace constructed by the Schutztruppe and simultaneously 40 000 clay bricks were dried close by. This was quite a laborious process and the Feste was completed in 1893. When the Herero uprising broke out on 12 January 1904, the fortress became a place of shelter for women and children from Windhoek and the surrounding regions. When the South African Union occupied Windhoek on 12 May 1915, the fortress became its headquarters. During the years after World War I the Feste was used as a boys’ hostel. In 1962 the historical section of the state museum was established at the Alte Feste.
Present-day use: It houses the Alte Feste museum.
Location: Robert Mugabe Avenue
