| 1907 |
The "geneticist" Eugen
Fischer uses German South West Africa as a field site for the development of later
notorious theories on European racial superiority. Fischer studies the bodies of 17 Nama
prisoners of war who have perished in a concentration camp on Shark Island near Lüderitz.
These Nama fighters, including Nama leader Cornelius Frederiks of Bethany (who dies in the
Shark Island concentration camp on 16.02.1907) who had surrendered to the Germans in March
1906, are decapitated. A published photograph of three heads supposedly provides visual
evidence to support the "scientific" arguments for German racial superiority
over the Africans. For the year 1906 it is reported that altogether 778 post-mortem tests
were conducted. Consequently also skulls are collected, which Ovaherero female
prisoners-of- war are forced to scrape clean with the aid of glass shards.  
Race Anatomical Research at Nama Heads at the Heads of perished Prisoners of War
(left) and the Loading and Packing of Skulls of perished Ovaherero by German Soldiers for
German Universities and Museums: Research by Eugen Fischer
Copyright of Photos: Chr. Fetzer: Rassenanatom. Untersuchungen an 17
Hottentottenköpfen: Lichtdruck der Hofkunstanstalt, Stuttgart (left picture): Right photo
from a post card from German Southwest Africa: Loading of Herero skulls for German
universities
Eugen Fischer
Copyright of Photo: www.chgs.umn.edu/Histories.../backgrounds.htm
The colonial Governor, Von Lindequist, proclaims the Etosha Pan a game
reserve. The Deutsche Farm-Gesellschaft AG for Liebig’s Extract of Meat
Company Ltd is established in Heusis in the Khomas Hochland.
  
The Ruin of the Manager's House of the Liebig's Extract of Meat
Company Ltd. of 1907 at Heusis (Neu Heusis) in the Khomas Hochland
Copyright of Photos: Dr. Klaus Dierks
The Roman Catholic Hospital in Swakopmund is established.
Regular copper exports begin.
Wecke und Voigts found the Otjizonjati Minensyndikat. Due to the high transport costs the
mine is not very profitable.
The Gorob-Syndikat of Berlin begins the detailed exploration, and also development
of the Gorob and Hope Mines. Copper, gold and silver are mined.
After the death of the seventeenth Uukwambi King Negumbo Iipumbu ya Tshilongo (1907-1932)
becomes the new king of the Uukwambi area in Ovamboland . He establishes his capital at
Omapona and later again at Onatshiku.
Hugo Friedmann buys the farm Ukamas from Carl Wilhelm Walser.
The telegraph system reaches a length of 3 616 km (since 1901). 34 postal and telegraphic
stations are opened so far. Twelve towns have telephone networks. |
| 01.01. |
Post offices are opened at
Brackwasser and Otjosondu. |
| 08.01. |
The wooden jetty in Swakopmund is
completed but the whole structure has to be strengthened, extended (by 50 m) and widened
(by 5 m) during this year. |
| 23.01. |
A post office is opened at
Okowakuatjiwi (later renamed Kalkfeld). |
| 25.01. |
A Labour Code is passed to confirm
"black" labourers’ dispossession of land and cattle. Workers have to carry
passes (numbered metal badge and a service book (Dienstbuch) and are resettled in
"locations". |
| February |
Gustav Voigts and Richard Voigts
(Krumhuk) import breeding cattle from Germany. |
| 02.02. |
The power station of the Damara
& Namaqua Handelsgesellschaft in Swakopmund is opened. |
| March |
Chief Simon Koper surrenders but
later continues the fight (1908).
German statistics show that in the concentration camp on Shark Island near Lüderitz, so
far 1 203 Nama prisoners had died, of these 460 were women and 274 were children. In
summation six months after the Nama communities of the Veldschoendrager (5Hawoben), the Witbooi Nama (*Khowesin) and the Bethany Nama
(!Aman) were deported to the island, only 450 remained, out of a total of about 2 000
prisoners. |
| 31.03. |
The German Government declares that
the war is over. The law providing for the expropriation of land and cattle of
"dissident tribes" is also made applicable to the Nama.
The state railway is transferred to the civil administration. Ernst Weiske becomes the
Executive Director of the newly-created Kaiserliche Eisenbahnverwaltung ( Imperial Railway
Administration). |
| April |
The cornerstone of the
Christuskirche (Christ Church) in Windhoek is laid (by Reverend Wilhelm Anz). |
| 01.04. |
Von Estorff becomes the new
Schutztruppe commander. One of his first tasks is to close down the Shark Island
concentration camp because conditions in this camp are so bad that he disobeys the orders
of his superiors and moves the camp to a healthier setting in the inland (Burenkamp
outside Lüderitz and Okawayo, northeast of Karibib).
A new post office building is opened in Swakopmund and replaces that of 1895. |
| 05.05. |
Chief Fielding surrenders to the
Germans. Only Simon Koper, Jakob Marengo and Lambert of Bethany continue the fight. |
| 09.05. |
The post office at the Waterberg is
closed. |
| 12.05. |
Though Ovaherero have been ordered
to report and surrender themselves to the missionary collection points and military
stations, and though military patrols are regularly sent out to seek fugitive Ovaherero,
many Ovaherero continue to live in the field and roam from one area to the other.
Consequently the commander of the station Waldau, Bauer, writes to the distriktsamt
at Okahandja: "As numerous unemployed Herero, men as well as women, have recently
been wandering around, in the vicinity of Waldau and along the railway line, who, when
hailed, flee into the bush and hide there, I request the "Kaiserliche
Distriktsamt" to inform me whether it is permitted to shoot at these ... Herero ...
". |
| 17.05. |
Bernhard Dernburg is appointed
Colonial State Secretary, and a programme of reform intended to "uplift the
natives" is drawn up. Clashes with the "powder and lead" policy of most
German settlers occur.
Bruno Helmut Erich von Schuckmann becomes the new colonial Governor and succeeds Von
Lindequist. |
| June |
The British in the Cape Colony
release Jakob Marengo from the Tokai prison in Cape Town. He is instructed to report to
the Civil Commissioner at Upington where he is ordered not to cross the border into German
South West Africa. In spite of this order Marengo crosses into SWA at Gamsib Ravine
(probably during July or August). |
| 08.06. |
Construction of a branch line from
the main OMEG railway from Otavi to Grootfontein (91 km) commences. This results in the
opening of further copper mines at Guchab (later Kombat), Gross Otavi and Asis. |
| 10.06. |
A post office is opened at Onguati. |
| 01.07. |
A post office is opened at Kanus. |
| 09.07. |
A post office is opened at
Wilhelmstal. |
| 20.07. |
A post office is opened at Kuibis. |
| 16.08. |
An instruction is issued by the
commander of the German Schutztruppe that his troops are to prevent Marengo from entering
SWA. |
| 18.08. |
The Germans issue a proclamation
to the effect that indigenes may not possess land or cattle. |
| 24.08. |
The British Cape Government
informs the Germans that Marengo is hiding near the Back River mouth at the border between
SWA and the Cape Colony. |
| 25.08. |
Lieutenant von Hanenfeldt who is
stationed at the garrison of Ukamas travels to Upington in order to co-ordinate the German
and British forces against Marengo. A heliograph link is established between Ukamas and
Upington. |
| 26.08. |
Captain von dem Hagen co-ordinates
the German troops with the British ones in Cape Town. It is decided to mount a common
action against Marengo on 01.09. in order to preventJakob Marengo from uniting his forces
with those of Simon Koper. |
| 03.09. |
The colonial administration issues
a proclamation that government farms may not be sold to farmers who live together with
"native" women. |
| 20.09. |
The unified German-British efforts
are eventually successful. Jakob Marengo is killed in action by a South African patrol
under the command of Major Elliot in Eenzamheed in the Cape Colony. His son, Samuel
Marengo, his nephews, Michael Marengo, Hendrich Marengo and Johannes Marengo and his
secretary Saul Damara are killed together with him. Petrus Marengo escapes.
An ex-combatant of the battle of Narudas ("Robber Henrick’s Place") in
March 1905 pays later tribute to Jakob Marengo: "In those old days, forty years
ago, South West was still a wild country. ... Perhaps that is the reason why Jakob Marengo
has received no recognition from any one for his outstanding intelligence and bravery, but
I am sure that there are many old people still alive who like me would bow their heads in
respect at the grave of Jakob Marengo". |
| 22.09. |
A post office is opened at Aris. |
| 24.09. |
Karakul sheep are introduced in
SWA (from Russia). They form the breeding stock on the farm Voigtsgrund (Albert Voigts).
Further breeding sheep are imported to the experimental farm Fürstenwalde near Windhoek
(1909). |
| October |
The southern railway line reaches
Brackwasser. |
| 01.10. |
A post office is opened at Groß
Witvlei. |
| 07.10. |
A post office is opened at
Otjosonjati. |
| November |
A post office is opened at
Feldschuhhorn (without its own postmark). Cancellations are done in Brackwasser.
Roman Catholic missionaries travel to the Kavango. Mbukushu Chief Diyeve confirms his
support for missionary work. |
| 01.11. |
A post office is opened at Berseba. |
| 25.11. |
A post office is opened at
Otjihavera. |
| 27.11. |
Post offices are opened at
Richthofen and Osona. |
| 30.11. |
The post office at Groß Barmen is
re-opened. |
| End November |
The southern railway line reaches
Feldschuhhorn (287 km). |
| 01.12. |
A post office is opened at Neudamm
(after the experimental farm has been established there). |
| 06.12. |
Post offices are opened at Aub and
Gochaganas. |
