70-1912

1912	German State Secretary Wilhelm H Solf states that most "whites" in German South West Africa, especially the farmers, regard the "natives" as "animals" and hold them in contempt, while the "natives", in turn, hate the "whites". Other relations are seemingly non-existent. Under the leadership of their evangelists and in line with the teachings of Lutheran Christianity, the Ovaherero begin to re-establish themselves as a nation. There is, however, a difference: The converted Ovaherero prior to 1903 had accepted the moral missionary concept of the Rhenish Missionary Society. The Ovaherero converts of the period 1904 to 1914 maintain their paradigm of kinship structures existing prior to the war. There are 1 250 farms spanning a total area of 110 931 km^² out of the territory’s total area of 823 168 km^². Disputes between inhabitants of the Caprivi Stripcommence on some islands in the Chobe River. The disputed islands are the Mabele Island (allocated to present-day Botswana), Kabula Island (also Kavura Island), Salumbo Island (also Lumbo Island) (the latter two islands were allocated to the Caprivi Strip) and Muntungobuswa Island, situated south-west of Lake Lyambezi. The Otjimboyo Tin Mine starts production and is at this time the most mechanised operation of its kind. On the diamond fields in the south-west of the territory, a mechanised plant is commissioned and the Koloniale Bergbaugesellschaft extends the diamond railway line by a further 40 km to the south. Locomotives are introduced and replace the formerly used mules. In the southern part of the sperrgebiet at Elizabeth Bay, ore is mined and transported for treatment to a plant at Kolmannskuppe. The Vereinigte Diamanten-Minen AG operates 18 000 ha between Elisabeth Bay and Pomona. Water is originally supplied by vats but later by a pipeline built by the Koloniale Bergbaugesellschaft. The Pomona Diamantengesellschaft starts operation in the same year. Its lease area includes the Idatal. The Kolmanskop Diamond Mines Ltd operates the deposits around Kolmannskuppe where the first diamonds were found. The Bahnfelder-Abbaugesellschaft mbH Lüderitzbucht, the Lüderitzbuchter Bergbaugesellschaft mbH and the Diamantengesellschaft Grillental mbH are all small companies with minor productions. The Diamantenfelder Verwertungsgesellschaft builds together with the Koloniale Bergbaugesellschaft some store buildings at the landing site at the Conception Bay. The Favorit Field is also developed in the area. All these stations are connected by a 23 km long railway line and a telephone line. The Afrika-Marmor-Kolonialgesellschaft takes over the Koloniale Marmorsyndikat. Vanadium ore is recognised at the OMEG copper mine at Tsumeb-West.
January	Fort Mucusso is moved by the Portuguese authorities from the Mbukushu area into Angola.
15.01.	A post office is opened at Olukonda in Ovamboland.
27.01.	The monument "Rider of South West" is unveiled, to coincide with the birthday of the German Emperor Wilhelm II. The statue depicts a German soldier of the time and is made in honour of those Germans who fell in the Great Resistance War (1 628 soldiers, four women, one child). Indeed the Windhoek we have today in terms of representation, more than ten years after independence, is still the Windhoek of the "Rider of South West." To the present-day, no monument depicts the ten thousands of Namibians who fell in the struggle against German colonialism. The colonial Monument "Reiterdenkmal" in Windhoek despicts not only the German Era of Namibia's History but glorifies also the "German Victims" of the Resistance Wars of the Indigenes with the resulting Genocid to some Namibian Communities like Ovaherero and Nama: with Katrin Dierks-Lecomte and Annette Dierks, 1981 Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks "Mastering Colonial History the Namibian Way": Contemporay Wall Painting showing the "Reiterdenkmal" twelve Years after the Namibian Independence on 21.03.1990 Copyright of Photos: Dr. Klaus Dierks
04.02.	A radio station is established in Swakopmund.
31.03.	The north-south railway line from Windhoek to Keetmanshoop is opened.
March	The newspaper Keetmanshooper Nachrichten is followed by the Keetmanshooper Zeitung (1912-1914).
13.04.	The post office at Jakkalswater is closed.
02.06.	A post office is opened at Neu-Heusis.
03.06.	A radio station is established in Lüderitz.
15.06.	The Südwestafrikanische Bodenkreditgesellschaft is founded in Berlin.
June/July	State Secretary Solf visits the colony and expresses the opinion that everything has to be done by Germany to incorporate Walvis Bay into the territory.
05.07	A post office is opened at Ekuja.
01.08.	A post office is opened at Chairos.
04.08.	In Lüderitz the German Evangelical-Lutheran "Rocky Church" is consecrated by Reverend Alexander Metzner. The church windows are presented by the German Emperor, Wilhelm II and his wife, Emperess Auguste Viktoria. The corner stone was laid by Albert Bause on 19.11.1911. The "Felsenkirche" (Rock Church) at Lüderitz with a View to the North (built 1912) Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks View from the "Felsenkirche" to the North (with Goerke House at the Forefront) Copyright of Photo: Dr. Klaus Dierks Stained-Glass Windows in the "Felsenkirche" at Lüderitz Copyright of Photos: Dr. Klaus Dierks
08.08.	The Ondonga King Kambonde kaNgula dies. He is followed by the twelfth King Martin Nambala yaKadhikwa (1912-1942).
26.08.	There is a relaxation of the ban on "native" cattle ownership.
03.12.	The Agricultural Credit Bank for German South West Africa (Bodenkreditbank für Deutsch-Südwestafrika) is established.

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