Inhalt

Okahandja

Introduction & planning tips

Depending on the route, Okahandja is normally either the second town visited after arrival or the second last town visited before departure. The facts that it has excellent refuelling facilities and two very large woodcarvers’ markets makes it a logical inclusion on itineraries. It also has a number of excellent bakeries so it is a good place to stop for a light meal or to stock up on snacks. The town has a rich and interesting history which is worth exploring. As the town is very small, this can easily be done in a short space of time.

Short URL: www.tourbrief.com/okahandja	Recommend to a friend>>
Right click the short URL and select 'send' or 'e-mail' to send it to a colleague, client or friend, or copy it and select 'Recommend to a friend>>'.

Consultants' map

Consultants' folder

Click on the title to show or hide the information.

Planning information

A minimum of one hour is recommended. This allows the traveller to visit one of the two woodcarvers’ markets. If the traveller wishes to visit both woodcarvers markets and explore the history of the town, two to three hours is recommended.

Although small, Okahandja is a developed town with several modern facilities:
* Numerious petrol stations and garages
* Several banks and ATM's
* Shops of various size
* Restaurants, coffee shops and bars

Branch with Bureau de Change
Martin Neib Avenue
Mon - Fri: 08h30 - 15h30
Sat: 08h30 - 12h00
Hours may vary.

Entering the town
When visiting Okahandja travellers often stop at a large fuel station and the first of the woodcarvers’ markets. They then drive further on the B1 without entering the town further. Travellers should be advised to enter the town via the road between the service station and the woodcarvers’ market. There is a larger woodcarvers’ market and there are a number of monuments and historical sites. Entering the town will also give them a glimpse of life in a small Namibian town.

The Windhoek road
The road between Okahandja and Windhoek can be dangerous, particularly as it is the last stretch for many drivers who are in a hurry to get back to Windhoek or leaving for the weekend and holidays. Traffic peaks on Fridays and Sundays from midday. Drivers should be extra cautious, particularly at bridges.

Woodcarvers’ markets
The woodcarvers’ markets can be intimidating as travellers are approached by stall owners. Travellers should be advised to turn down offers without fear. The stall owners are friendly. Travellers can bargain with stall owners, but should accept if stall owners decide not to bargain. Use of a car guard is advised. Find details on car guards, here>>

Cultural sensitivity
Okahandja is an important centre of the Herero culture and history, and one of the points of interest in Okahandja are the Herero Graves. During the commemoration of Herero Day (the Sunday closest to 23 August) , and when visiting the Herero Graves, travellers are advised to keep in the background and not be too obtrusive. When visiting a Herero grave, follow the Herero custom and place a stone on the grave.

Sunday & Public Holidays visits
The woodcarvers’ markets and the fuel stations will be open on Sundays and Public Holidays, however shops are normally closed.

* The woodcarvers’ markets
* An opportunity to stretch legs
* A glimpse of life in a small Namibian town
* Herero Day (the Sunday closest to 23 August)

Monuments
Okahandja has a number of monuments. These include
* Moordkoppie
* The grave of Jonker Afrikaner
* The grave of Kahimemua Nguvauva
* The Herero graves and the grave of Samuel Maharero
* The Rhenish Mission Church and cemetery

There are two war memorials located on farms outside of Okahandja.
* The Ovikokorero War Memorial
* The Okaharui War Memorial
The war memorials can only be visited with permission from the owners of the farms.

On the Sunday closest to 23 August Hereros parade and pay their respects to the chiefs buried in the Herero Graves in Okahandja. Some travellers visit Namibia with the specific intent of watching the activities. Red Flag Herero Day is only commemorated in Okahandja. In Omaruru, the Hereros mark the day with a white flag and in eastern Namibia it is marked with a green flag.

There are two woodcarvers’ markets, one at the entry to town from the Windhoek side opposite the service station and one in the centre of the town. The market at the centre of town is the largest. A variety of crafts from Namibia and sub-Saharan Africa are on sale at both. Travellers should enquire about the source of the crafts. Bargaining is permitted. If possible, use a car guard. Find more information on car guards, here>>

Monuments

Moordkoppie (Murder Hill in English) can be seen alongside the B1 highway en-route to Karibib and Swakopmund. It is also sometimes incorrectly called Bloedkoppie (Blood Hill). On 23 August 1850, a skirmish took place between Chief Oove no Muhoko Kahitjene of the Hereros and Jan Jonker, aided by his allies //Oaseb and Amraal. The cause of the battle was a failed attack on Jonker Afrikaner by Kahitjene in retaliation for repeated raids on the Herero people by Afrikaner. Facing defeat, approximately 700 Hereros clustered on the small hill, but they were murdered by Jonker Afrikaner’s men. The skirmish, described by explorer Francis Galton, also destroyed the Rhenish Mission Station.

In the grounds of the German Evangelical Lutheran Church, Heroes Street. Jonker Afrikaner led the Oorlam tribe between 1830 and 1861. He waged war against the Herero, winning the battle in 1835. He established a territory covering southern and central Namibia. He died of an inflammation in August 1861.

On Kahimemua Avenue, between Eerstelaan (First Lane) and Tweedelaan (Second Lane). Kahimemua Nguvauva was chief of the Mbanderu group in the Herero tribe. In 1880 he razed Gobabis. In January 1895, a dispute between the Mbanderu and the Germans arose over borders in the district of Gobabis. An uprising took place, and Kahimemua was captured by the Germans and sentenced to death. Then Governor Leutwein petitioned for his pardon, but was opposed in his petition by the Paramount Chief of the Hereros, Samuel Maharero. Kahimemua was shot in 1896. The grave stands on the site of his execution.

Follow the path from the end of Voigts Street. The cemetery contains the graves of the Herero Chiefs Maharero, Samuel Maharero, Friedrich Maharero, Hosea Kutako, Clemens Kapuuo and David Kukajoria Ndisiro, amongst others. The cemetery is visited by Hereros on Red Flag Herero Day.

Heroes Street. The Rhenish Mission Church is the oldest building in Okahandja. The church, built in the shape of a cross, was consecrated in 1876. The church has a belltower alongside it. Previously this had two bells. Only one remains. The graveyard is the final resting place of a number of missionaries, civilians and Hereros who converted to Christianity. The most prominent Hereros buried in the cemetery are Wilhelm Maharero, son of Samuel Maharero and Nikodemus Kavekunua who was shot alongside Kahimemua Nguvuava. Kavekunua was buried in the cemetery as he was a convert. The cemetery is visited by Hereros on Red Flag Herero Day.

On the farm Harmonie near Okahandja. May be visited with the permission of the owner. During the Herero Uprising against the Germans, lasting from 1904 to 1907 a battle took place at Ovikokorero, which is commemorated by this monument. On 13 March 1904, Major Georg von Glasenhapp moved with a patrol in the direction of Ovikokorero with the intent of attacking a Herero encampment. He found the encampment deserted, but was later attacked by a strong force of Hereros. His losses included 26 dead and 9 injured. As a result, German reconnaissance techniques were changed. The monument commemorates the German dead, who are buried in four graves surrounding the monument.

On the farm Okaharui near Okahandja. May be visited with the permission of the owner. Subsequent to Major Von Glasenhapp’s defeat at Ovikokorero in 1905, the Germans decided on a massive attack on the Herero forces. To do this, they needed to join the main division with a force from the west. Von Glasenhapp moved his forces westwards, but failed to join up with the larger western contingent. On 1 April, he set up an encampment at Okaharui. On 3 April he moved his troops out and headed back in dense bush in a single column. The Hereros had been following the troops and began to attack from the rear. Von Glasenhapp chased off the Hereros inflicting heavy casualties. His losses amounted to 32 killed and 15 wounded. The number of Herero losses are unknown. The monument commemorates the German dead, who are buried in a mass grave east of the monument.

Travel details

Marketing descriptions

Background for clients & guides

The name ‘Okahandja’ comes from the Otjiherero word that means two rivers that join together to from a bigger river. The two rivers that join are the Okakango and the Okamita. They form the Okahandja River.

Okahandja is hot during the summer, with temperatures ranging between approximately 18 C at night and 36 C during the day. Rain can be expected from October to April. Winters are warm during the day and very cold at night.

From about 1750, the Herero people, led by Mutjise, began migrating from Kaokoland in north-western Namibia towards the interior of the country. Around 1785, they settled in Okahandja.

In 1827, the town was visited by Johan Heinrich Schmelen, a missionary associated with the London Missionary Society. He is probably the first European to have visited the settlement. Some sources state that he named it Schmelen’s Verwagting, or Schmelen’s Hope’, however some believe it was given this name by Carl Hugo Hahn at a later date.

In 1840, the Rhenish Mission Society decided to establish a mission to the Herero people. In 1844, Carl Hugo Hahn and Franz Heinrich Kleinschmidt visited the site of the Okahandja settlement but found that the Hereros had moved due to drought and a lack of drinking water. Hahn settled at the site of the hot springs at Otjikango, and renamed the place Gross Barmen. He would depart for Otjimbingwe in 1853.

In 1846, Herero Chief Oove no Muhoko Kahitjene moved to Okahandja following defeat at the hands of //Oaseb, an ally of Jonker Afrikaner. In 1848, a missionary by the name of Friedrich Wilhelm Kolbe joined Carl Hugo Hahn. He established a mission station at the settlement of Okahandja in the first half of 1850.

In 1849, Jonker Afrikaner made numerous attacks on Herero settlements while returning from Walvis Bay. One of those he killed was Kahitjene’s brother, Kamukamu. Kahitjene responded by attacking Jonker Afrikaner in 1850, however he was defeated. Feeling unsafe at Okahandja, he decided to move to Otjikango, but was attacked by Afrikaner on 23 August 1850. . In the face of defeat, approximately 700 Hereros clustered on the small hill, but they were murdered by Jonker Afrikaner’s men. The hill, known as Moordkoppie, is now national monument. Kahitjene lost 18,000 head of cattle to Jonker Afrikaner, but fled and escaped with his life. The mission station was destroyed in the process, and Kolbe returned to Carl Hugo Hahn at Otjikango.

In 1854, Jonker Afrikaner settled in Okahandja to better control the Hereros and the Rhenish missionaries. He died of an inflammation in 1861 at Okahandja, and is buried there.

The death of Jonker Afrikaner opened the way for the Rhenish missionaries to continue their work. In May 1870, two missionaries by the name of Johann Jakob Ihrle and Philip Diehl came to Okahandja. In September, they concluded a peace treaty between the Herero and the Nama who had been united with Jonker Afrikaner’s Oorlam tribe. The signatories to the treaty were Paramount Chief of the Hereros Maharero, Jan Jonker Afrikaner (son of Jonker Afrikaner), Kido Witbooi of Gibeon, David Christian Frederiks of Bethany and Jakobus Isaak of Berseba as well as the missionaries Hahn, Diehl and Ihrle of Okahandja, Brincker of Gross Barmen, Olpp of Gibeon, seven Finnish missionaries and the trader C Conrath) organised a peace conference at Okahandja. Jan Jonker Afrikaner was given the status of ‘co-regent’, subordinate to Maharero.

The way was clear for missionary work to resume. They began with a school, and in 1876, the Rhenish Mission Church was consecrated.

Peace reigned for a while, but it was not to last. In 1880 after a skirmish between the Hereros and the Namas, Maharero declared war on Jan Jonker Afrikaner. On 12 December a battle took place at Otjikango. Skirmishing and battles continued and in November of 1885 the Nama were defeated by the Herero at Osona near Okahandja. The Namas retreated south.

On 25 June 1894, Governor Leutwein established a military station in Okahandja. This is the date that is accepted as the official founding of Okahandja. In 1895 postal services to Okahandja were started. Camels were used to transport the mail. The first post office was opened in 1896.

Once again however, the peace was not to last.

In the early 1900’s, due to the loss of land to treaties, and cattle and land used to repay traders, the Hereros began to feel the strain of the German colonial occupation. An ultimatum was given to Maharero to take up arms or give up his position as Paramount Chief of the Herero.

On 11 January 1904, Maharero gave the order to kill the Germans. On 14 January, 17 German men were killed at Waterberg. The only male to survive was the missionary Eich. The attacks continued and more than 100 German traders and farmers were killed.

The Germans sent a small contingent of marines and engineers to Swakopmund. These skirmished with the Hereros as they made their way towards Okahandja.

Okahandja was the first town besieged and was only relieved on 27 January by Major Victor Franke and his 2nd Field Company.

On 13 March 1904, Major Georg von Glasenhapp moved with a patrol in the direction of Ovikokorero with the intent of attacking a Herero encampment. He found the encampment deserted, but was later attacked by a strong force of Hereros. His losses included 26 dead and 9 injured. As a result, German reconnaissance techniques were changed.

Subsequent to Major Von Glasenhapp’s defeat at Ovikokorero in 1905, the Germans decided on a massive attack on the Herero forces. To do this, they needed to join the main division with a force from the west. Von Glasenhapp moved his forces westwards, but failed to join up with the larger western contingent. On 1 April, he set up an encampment at Okaharui. On 3 April he moved his troops out and headed back in dense bush in a single column. The Hereros had been following the troops and began to attack from the rear. Von Glasenhapp chased off the Hereros inflicting heavy casualties. His losses amounted to 32 killed and 15 wounded. The number of Herero losses are unknown.

Ultimately the Germans held and controlled Okahandja, Gobabis, Otjimbingwe and Omaruru, but the losses were unacceptable and a political liability in Germany. Colonial governor Leutwein’s leadership abilities were questioned.

In June, General Lothar von Trotha was sent to the colony to assume military command.

Hereros were gathering at Waterberg with their women, children and cattle. Paramount Chief Maharero and Chiefs Riarua, Zeraua, Michael and Tjetjo were also present. Estimates of the Herero numbers range between 35,000 and 85,000, with 5,000 to 6,000 guns at their disposal.

In August, Von Trotha set off towards Waterberg with a force of 103 officers, 1,448 guns, 212 machine guns and 30 cannons. On 11 August skirmishes took place in the area, and with superior weaponry, the Germans soon took control of a large number of waterholes, vital for the Herero’s general wellbeing and their cattle.

The next day, a number of skirmishes took place, but signalers at the top of the plateau noticed large clouds of dust to the east. The major body of the Hereros had retreated south eastwards into the bone-dry Omaheke area.

On the 13th, the Germans took up pursuit. They found cattle, men, women and children dying of thirst. They continued pursuit until the 14th when they, themselves, were unable to continue, and only resumed the pursuit on 27 August. Von Trotha went on to throw up a cordon around the Omaheke, forcing the surviving Hereros to remain and die of thirst or flee to Bechuanaland, which became Botswana.

On 2 October, Von Trotha issued what is known as the ‘extermination order’, which effectively stated that all Herero males within the borders of the German colonial area would be shot on sight, and that women and children would be chased out of the country.

On 3 October, Hendrik Witbooi rebelled in the south, preventing the order from being carried out in practice, however it is known that thousands of Hereros were interned and shot.

The Hereros of Okahandja were chased into the Kaiserkop area, east of Okahandja.

Skirmishing and battles continues, and the uprising was only considered over in 1908.

In 1905, Augustineum School was reopened in Okahandja. This was later relocated to Windhoek, and became a seat of political consciousness and an alma mater for many of today’s Namibian leaders.

A tobacco Research Station was established between 1905 and 1907. In 1906, Dr Fock became Okahandja's first mayor. In 1909, the first telephones reached Okahandja, and a railway station was opened.

After the outbreak of World War 1, in 1915, troops from the Union of South Africa invaded the country. On 7 May, last German troops under the command of Lieutenant Georg Fritz Ferdinand von Hepke and Ernst Weiske leave Windhoek and retreat in the direction of Seeis, and Union Troops occupied Okahandja.

In 1948 a dairy factory was established. In 1952, municipal buildings were erected. And in 1962, a meat canning plant was opened.

Today Okahandja’s economy is based on support to the local farming industry, light industry and support to the travel industry. The woodcarvers’ market also plays an important role in the well-being of the town.

[ Back ]



	Copyright June Twenty One 2005 - 2010 \| Terms of Use

Kopfbereich

Inhalt

Navigation