Talk:Swakopmund

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This entry probably ought to have a section about the narrow gauge railways that the Germans built to connect Swakopmund with the rest of the country.

Is the 'Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie' angle really necessary in an encyclopaedia article about Swakopmund? ManicParroT 14:34, 28 May 2006 (UTC)

I agree. I'm not sure it is a good idea to add information about Brad Pitt' baby to this article. It is just a little bit silly, no?

I agree too. I propose that the next person who thinks that information is unnecesary can erease it (sorry about my english...).

[edit] Street Map Of Swakopmund

I would like to add a street map of Swakopmund <http://www.namibia-1on1.com/Namibia-Map/Swakopmund-Map-01.html> Are ther any objections? Keith Irwin 14:42, 28 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Moved long, unsourced section from main article as it is not clear whether this has happened or only projected & is too long for a quote

Historical site World War I outside Swakopmund: Horse graves:

Only a limited number of people, usually 4x4-drivers, have come across the long outstretched mounds of bleached horse skulls and bones in the dune valleys about 5km to the south of the Swakop river and have wondered about the origin and the story surrounding them. Most of the skulls have a bullet hole in the forehead. Speculations among the older Swakopmund community on the shooting of the large number of horses ranged from horse-sickness to food-poisoning, sand-colic, pneumonia and glanders among German Schutztruppe horses during World War 1. At last the mystery was solved: In a telegram found by mr. S.M.Altman in the military archives of South Africa, which was sent on 15 May 1916 from the Ministry of Defence (Johannesburg) to the House of Parliament (Pretoria) the following information was given:

1. Sixteen hundred and ninety-five horses and nine hundred and forty-four mules were destroyed at Swakopmund during November / December 1915 on account of a glanders outbreak which occurred amongst Union Defence Force animals that had been moved down to the coast in October owing to a shortage of food supplies up country. All possible steps were immediately taken to deal with the outbreak and to eradicate the disease.

2. On notification of the glanders outbreak a veterinary officer with a supply of mallein was dispatched from Cape Town on SS "British Prince" but due to the fact that the ship was wrecked on 1st Nov.1915, ± 40 km. south of Lüderitz near Possession Island , the officer's arrival in Swakopmund was delayed by 10 days.

3. Animals showing clinical symptoms were immediately destroyed on detection by the veterinary officer. The remainder was tested with mallein and those that reacted positively were also immediately destroyed to prevent the spreading of infection.

The telegram from the Ministry of Defence to the House of Parliament, dispatched on 15 May 1916, confirms the fact that the destroyed horses were South African Defence Force horses or at least horses in the possession of the S.A. Defence Force, since the German soldiers had left Swakopmund with their horses early in the year 1915. In fact General Louis Botha (Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa and Commander-in-Chief of its armed forces) was questioned in Parliament on this issue on May 17, 1916.

After the German-SWA – campaign ended and the peace-treaty was signed at Khorab on 9th July 1915, all the Schutztruppe horses were confiscated and the best horses were brought to Swakopmund for further transport by boat to Cape Town. It can be assumed, that these horses, together with the S.A. Defence Force horses, were kept under crowded and unhygienic conditions and were badly fed or debilitated, due to the shortage of food supplies, while waiting for their transportation back to South Africa. This is the ideal breeding condition for the disease glanders to spread.

“Glanders” is an acute or chronic, usually fatal bacterial disease that is highly infectious among equines. It can also be fatal to humans. Prophylactics and control depend on early detection and elimination by destruction of affected animals.

An interesting phenomenon about these horse graves is the fact that they seem to disappear due to the shifting sand dunes that cover up the skeletons completely – and suddenly surface again after a few years. On such occasions one might find intact skeletons with hair, hooves, horseshoes, leather pieces, parts of bridles and brass buckles.'(Report by Dr FW von Ludwiger)'

If this is to be included in the article, it needs to be rephrased in the editor's own words. Also, is this a proposal for a future event or has it already happened?

Sincerely, Mattisse 15:03, 2 August 2007 (UTC)