Old German Fortress Fort Naiams

• Seeheim

Erected around 1898 by the Schutztruppe, the fort secured the South Bay Road between Keetmanshoop and Lüderitz, a military station building and provided bypassers with water.

An officer of the Schutztruppe and approximately 15 troops were stationed here. Especially during the Nama wars in 1905-1906, their task was to protect the nearby waterholes during the Nama wars in 1905-1906 .

Built from flat stones piled on each other the outer walls measure 10 x 5m, facing the north-east oveerlooking a part of the South Bay Road, the former military station and the cattle kraals and stables. The fort has 2 rooms, a passage and loopholes on 3 sides.

The other ruins are the remnants of the military station building, a four roomed structure comprising a living roomfor the troops, a visitors room, a storeroom, a kitchen and a veranda.

The remains of the cattle kraals are also still visible towards the Schenpfen River.

The graves of -

• Lieutenant Rudolf Honig born on 17 Jul 1880 in Poland and died on 12 Aug 1906 (aged 26) and 
• Trooper Dauve Voss born 11 May 1884 and died on 21 Jul 1906 (aged 22)

can be found a few metres south-west from the fort. (Vogt, p123) and (www.findagrave.com)

The fort is located on private land and permission from the farmer is required to visit it.

Sources

Vogt, A. 2004. National Monuments in Namibia. 2nd ed. Macmillan, Windhoek.

https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/2637669/fort-naiams-military-cemetery accessed on 19 June 2018