Restoration of the Officer's House in Warmbad

Enlarge image "Officer's House" in Warmbad August 2005 (before restoration works began) (© German Embassy) In 2005, 63,460.00 Euro (496,000.00 N$) were made available for the restoration of the old officer’s house in Warmbad. The town of Warmbad lies in the Karas Region in the south of Namibia, well-known for its hot springs and various historical buildings dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, such as a German fort, the remains of which today form part of the local police station, the garrison and the doctor’s house or the church of the Rhenish Missionary Society. The officer’s house, built in 1908, was in a very bad state of dilapidation. The picture above shows the house before renovation works began in August 2005.

Renovation works were completed in November 2006 and the officer’s house handed over to the local Bondelswarts community in an official ceremony in the presence of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Namibia, Hifikepunye Pohamba, on 22 November 2006.

The house serves as restaurant and reception for a new tourism complex in the hot springs area. Bungalows and backpackers huts were built and spa facilities were upgraded by the Namibian Government as part of a campaign to promote tourism in the remote Karas Region. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy the “wide open spaces” of the Namibian south from their chalet, take a bath in the healing hot spa and enjoy dinner at the historical officer’s house. Some may be lucky to witness a performance of the extraordinary traditional songs and dances of the Nama.

By allocating funds for the restoration of the officer’s house the German Government has not only contributed to the preservation of the Namibian cultural heritage, the project furthermore helps to promote tourism and to generate income for the local community.