Otto Schimming
Encyclopedia
Otto Ferdinand Schimming (19 November 1908-7 December 2005) was a Namibia
n teacher and early independence activist. He was the first black teacher in Namibia when he founded the Rietquelle School. A street in Katutura
is named after him.
soldier and a Herero mother, Schimming was born in 1908 during imperial German rule of Namibia. His parents divorced in 1918 when the South African authorities, having conquered the area during World War I, voided interracial marriage in the territory. Schimming and his brother then moved to a farm near Otjivero where he lived with Clemens Kapuuo
's sister. By the age of 10, Schimming could speak three languages. In 1940, Schimming married Charlotte Frier, a Damara-speaker and lived with her and their three children in the Old Location
of Windhoek. Shortly after the marriage, the couple had their fourth child and they soon moved to a series of different farms across the country, including ones in Grootfontein
, Gobabis
, Rehoboth
, Seeis
, Windhoek and Okahandja
before settling near Witvlei
- where three of his surviving daughters are still farming today. All of Schimming's children received post-secondary education in South Africa, causing suspicion of thievery by the White South African authorities and regular raids of the household in search of stolen diamonds.
During the Old Location massacre on December 10, 1959, Schimming and his wife were in Cape Town attending the graduation of his son and son-in-law who are medical doctors In 1963, after his daughter Otillie and her husband Kenneth Abrahams had moved to Rehoboth in 1962, he took his son-in-law and others to hide away in caves, after nearly being arrested by the South Africans for their political activities, on his farm in the Rehoboth area before transporting them to Botswana. He was the father of politician Nora Schimming-Chase
. He died on 7 December 2005 and is buried on the family farm near Rehoboth, Namibia
. At the time of his death, he was survived by eight children, 17 grandchildren and, at the time of his death, 13 great-grandchildren.
in South Africa. Upon completing his education at Lovedale, Schimming returned to South West Africa
and was by urged Chief Hosea Kutako
to start a school for Herero-speaking children in Aminuis
. The Rietquelle School was founded and for a time, Schimming was the school's only teacher. In the first year, Schimming taught 150 pupils, In the afternoons he would build structures where the children could stay. He also acquired a rifle which he would hunt for meat during weekends to supply food for the children. During this time he found himself before a magistrate in Gobabis for shooting wild dogs and was find one shilling and a six pence. He was also an advisor to the Herero Chiefs Council and secretary to Kutako. In that position, Schimming drafted the first letter to the United Nations
protesting the proposed formal incorporation of the then South West Africa into South Africa. Two years later, Schimming was hired as the chief translator for Windhoek
's municipality because of his skill with languages
. He could speak Afrikaans
, German, Damara
and Nama
, Herero
, Oshivambo, English, Xhosa
and Latin. In 1962, he accompanied international inspectors to Namibia as a translator to inspect the conditions in the country and report back to the United Nations.
Namibia
Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
n teacher and early independence activist. He was the first black teacher in Namibia when he founded the Rietquelle School. A street in Katutura
Katutura
Katutura is a township of Windhoek, Khomas Region, Namibia. Katutura was created in 1961 following the forced removal of Windhoek's black population from the Old Location, which afterwards was developed into the suburb Hochland Park. Sam Nujoma Stadium, built in 2005, is located within Katutura...
is named after him.
Personal
The son of a German SchutztruppeSchutztruppe
Schutztruppe was the African colonial armed force of Imperial Germany from the late 19th century to 1918, when Germany lost its colonies. Similar to other colonial forces, the Schutztruppe consisted of volunteer European commissioned and non-commissioned officers, medical and veterinary officers. ...
soldier and a Herero mother, Schimming was born in 1908 during imperial German rule of Namibia. His parents divorced in 1918 when the South African authorities, having conquered the area during World War I, voided interracial marriage in the territory. Schimming and his brother then moved to a farm near Otjivero where he lived with Clemens Kapuuo
Clemens Kapuuo
Clemens Kapuuo was a Namibian school teacher, shopkeeper and chief of the Herero people of Namibia. Kapuuo was one of the leading opponents of South African rule of his country up until his assassination following the Turnhalle Constitutional Conference in March 1978.-Biography:Clemens Kapuuo was...
's sister. By the age of 10, Schimming could speak three languages. In 1940, Schimming married Charlotte Frier, a Damara-speaker and lived with her and their three children in the Old Location
Old Location
The Old Location was an area segregated for Black residents of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. It was situated in the area of today's suburb Hochland Park....
of Windhoek. Shortly after the marriage, the couple had their fourth child and they soon moved to a series of different farms across the country, including ones in Grootfontein
Grootfontein
Grootfontein is a city of 14,200 inhabitants in the Otjozondjupa Region of central Namibia. It is one of the three towns in the Otavi Triangle, situated on the B8 national road that leads from Windhoek to the Caprivi Strip...
, Gobabis
Gobabis
Gobabis is a town in eastern Namibia. It is the regional capital of the Omaheke Region, and the district capital of the Gobabis electoral constituency. Gobabis is situated down the B6 motorway from Windhoek to Botswana. The town is from the Buitepos border post with Botswana, and serves as an...
, Rehoboth
Rehoboth, Namibia
Rehoboth is a town of 21,000 inhabitants in central Namibia just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Located on the B1 road, 90 kilometres south of the Namibian capital Windhoek, Rehoboth lies on a high elevation plateau with several natural hot-water springs. It receives sparse mean annual rainfall...
, Seeis
Seeis
Seeis [ˈseːaɪs] is a small settlement in the Khomas Region of central Namibia. It is situated on the B6 national road east of Hosea Kutako International Airport on the turnoff of the dirt road D1458. The Seeis Rivier, an ephemeral river, cuts the settlement...
, Windhoek and Okahandja
Okahandja
Okahandja is a town of 14,000 inhabitants in Otjozondjupa Region, central Namibia, and the district capital of the Okahandja electoral constituency. It is known as the Garden Town of Namibia. It is located 70km north of Windhoek on the B1 road...
before settling near Witvlei
Witvlei
Witvlei is a populated settlement in Steinhausen Constituency, Omaheke Region, Namibia. It is known for producing high quality meat.-References:...
- where three of his surviving daughters are still farming today. All of Schimming's children received post-secondary education in South Africa, causing suspicion of thievery by the White South African authorities and regular raids of the household in search of stolen diamonds.
During the Old Location massacre on December 10, 1959, Schimming and his wife were in Cape Town attending the graduation of his son and son-in-law who are medical doctors In 1963, after his daughter Otillie and her husband Kenneth Abrahams had moved to Rehoboth in 1962, he took his son-in-law and others to hide away in caves, after nearly being arrested by the South Africans for their political activities, on his farm in the Rehoboth area before transporting them to Botswana. He was the father of politician Nora Schimming-Chase
Nora Schimming-Chase
Nora Schimming-Chase is a Namibian politician. A member of the Congress of Democrats, Schimming-Chase has been a member of the National Assembly of Namibia since 2000. Prior to joining the NA with the opposition CoD, Schimming-Chase was a long time diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs...
. He died on 7 December 2005 and is buried on the family farm near Rehoboth, Namibia
Rehoboth, Namibia
Rehoboth is a town of 21,000 inhabitants in central Namibia just north of the Tropic of Capricorn. Located on the B1 road, 90 kilometres south of the Namibian capital Windhoek, Rehoboth lies on a high elevation plateau with several natural hot-water springs. It receives sparse mean annual rainfall...
. At the time of his death, he was survived by eight children, 17 grandchildren and, at the time of his death, 13 great-grandchildren.
Teaching and activism
He received an education from missionaries and eventually studied education at Lovedale Mission StationLovedale (South Africa)
Lovedale was a mission station and educational institute in the VictoriaEast division of the Cape Province, South Africa...
in South Africa. Upon completing his education at Lovedale, Schimming returned to South West Africa
South West Africa
South-West Africa was the name that was used for the modern day Republic of Namibia during the earlier eras when the territory was controlled by the German Empire and later by South Africa....
and was by urged Chief Hosea Kutako
Hosea Kutako
Chief Hosea Kutako was an early Namibian nationalist leader and member of the South West African People's Organization. Kutako, alongside Rev. Michael Scott led petitions to the United Nations which eventually led to the recognition of Namibia's status as a sovereign country under colonial control...
to start a school for Herero-speaking children in Aminuis
Aminuis
Aminuis is a settlement in the Omaheke Region of Namibia and the district capital of the Aminuis electoral constituency. It is the hometown of politicians Steve Mogotsi and Kuaima Riruako, and matron Hulda Shipanga....
. The Rietquelle School was founded and for a time, Schimming was the school's only teacher. In the first year, Schimming taught 150 pupils, In the afternoons he would build structures where the children could stay. He also acquired a rifle which he would hunt for meat during weekends to supply food for the children. During this time he found himself before a magistrate in Gobabis for shooting wild dogs and was find one shilling and a six pence. He was also an advisor to the Herero Chiefs Council and secretary to Kutako. In that position, Schimming drafted the first letter to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
protesting the proposed formal incorporation of the then South West Africa into South Africa. Two years later, Schimming was hired as the chief translator for Windhoek
Windhoek
Windhoek is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level. The 2001 census determined Windhoek's population was 233,529...
's municipality because of his skill with languages
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
. He could speak Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
, German, Damara
Damara
Damara may refer to:* Damara , breed of sheep* Damara , Namibian people* Damaraland, a region in Namibia* Damara , landlords of ancient Kashmir* Damara, Central African Republic, town...
and Nama
Nama
Nama may mean:* Nama band, a Greek music group* Nama , a genus of plants in the family Hydrophyllaceae* Holy Name in Indian religions* Nama , a hero in ? folklore who built an ark to save his family from a flood...
, Herero
Herero language
The Herero language is a language of the Bantu family . It is spoken by the Herero people in Namibia and Botswana...
, Oshivambo, English, Xhosa
Xhosa language
Xhosa is one of the official languages of South Africa. Xhosa is spoken by approximately 7.9 million people, or about 18% of the South African population. Like most Bantu languages, Xhosa is a tonal language, that is, the same sequence of consonants and vowels can have different meanings when said...
and Latin. In 1962, he accompanied international inspectors to Namibia as a translator to inspect the conditions in the country and report back to the United Nations.