Schuckmannsburg
Encyclopedia
Schuckmannsburg is an African village in the Caprivi Strip
in northeastern Namibia
with a population of about 800. It belongs to the Kabbe electoral constituency of the Caprivi Region
. During the time of German
colonialisation, it was the capital of the Caprivi Strip.
and about 65 km east of Katima Mulilo
, which is today the region's administrative seat, a role once performed by Schuckmannsburg when Namibia was a German colony.
Owing to the way that Africa was carved up by the European powers in the 19th century in their so-called "Scramble for Africa
", Schuckmannsburg lies right near several other countries, Zambia
just to the north, Botswana
about 30 km to the south and Zimbabwe
about 50 km to the east. Angola
is also only about 80 km to the west.
s as assistant policemen, put up buildings, mapped the area, and consolidated the administration.
In 1911, Victor von Frankenberg und Proschlitz took over the Resident's post, thereafter known, however, as District Chief. In late September 1914, he surrendered Schuckmannsburg without a fight to an advancing detachment of the British South Africa Police
from Southern Rhodesia
which was cooperating with a detachment of the Northern Rhodesia Police
(NRP). Captain Eason then became the new administrator. Lieutenant O'Sullevan of the NRP said that the Caprivi had
German rule ended in Southwest Africa (Namibia) as Germany was stripped of its colonies after the First World War by the Treaty of Versailles
. The South Africans took over the administrative centre at Schuckmannsburg but decided to abandon the place because of the annual heavy flooding of the area. Thus Schuckmannsburg lost its political importance when on 28 January 1935 Katima Mulilo
took its administrative functions. Because of a shortage of building material in Katima Mulilo – no shops and no buildings were present there at that time – many buildings were taken apart so that the bricks could be reused in the new regional seat.
Caprivi Strip
Caprivi, sometimes called the Caprivi Strip , Caprivi Panhandle or the Okavango Strip and formally known as Itenge, is a narrow protrusion of Namibia eastwards about , between Botswana to the south, Angola and Zambia to the north, and Okavango Region to the west. Caprivi is bordered by the...
in northeastern Namibia
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...
with a population of about 800. It belongs to the Kabbe electoral constituency of the Caprivi Region
Caprivi Region
Caprivi is one of the 13 regions of Namibia. It takes its name from the Caprivi Strip which in turn was named after Leo von Caprivi.-Geography:...
. During the time of German
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
colonialisation, it was the capital of the Caprivi Strip.
Location
Schuckmannsburg lies at the far eastern end of the Caprivi Strip, about 1 km south of the river ZambeziZambezi
The Zambezi is the fourth-longest river in Africa, and the largest flowing into the Indian Ocean from Africa. The area of its basin is , slightly less than half that of the Nile...
and about 65 km east of Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo is the capital of the Caprivi Strip, Namibia's far north–east extension into central Southern Africa. It comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban...
, which is today the region's administrative seat, a role once performed by Schuckmannsburg when Namibia was a German colony.
Owing to the way that Africa was carved up by the European powers in the 19th century in their so-called "Scramble for Africa
Scramble for Africa
The Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa or Partition of Africa was a process of invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers during the New Imperialism period, between 1881 and World War I in 1914...
", Schuckmannsburg lies right near several other countries, Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
just to the north, Botswana
Botswana
Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
about 30 km to the south and Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
about 50 km to the east. Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
is also only about 80 km to the west.
History
The original name of the settlement was Luhonono, after the Luhonono tree (Terminalia sericea) endemic in that area. Schuckmannsburg was founded on 7 February 1909 by Captain Kurt Streitwolf as "Imperial Residence in the Caprivi Strip". Its namesake was the then Governor of German Southwest Africa, Bruno von Schuckmann. The purpose of founding this place in such a remote area was to visibly take ownership, on the colonial administration's behalf, of the Caprivi Strip, which had formally been part of German Southwest Africa since 1890. The exact location was chosen because it was directly opposite Mwandi, a North Rhodesian settlement under British rule, and infrastructure such as a post office and a hospital, was readily available there. The Imperial Resident Streitwolf, who had at his command three German junior officers as well as a few AskariAskari
Askari is an Arabic, Bosnian, Urdu, Turkish, Somali, Persian, Amharic and Swahili word meaning "soldier" . It was normally used to describe local troops in East Africa, Northeast Africa, and Central Africa serving in the armies of European colonial powers...
s as assistant policemen, put up buildings, mapped the area, and consolidated the administration.
In 1911, Victor von Frankenberg und Proschlitz took over the Resident's post, thereafter known, however, as District Chief. In late September 1914, he surrendered Schuckmannsburg without a fight to an advancing detachment of the British South Africa Police
British South Africa Police
The British South Africa Police was the police force of the British South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes which became the national police force of Southern Rhodesia and its successor after 1965, Rhodesia...
from Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia
Southern Rhodesia was the name of the British colony situated north of the Limpopo River and the Union of South Africa. From its independence in 1965 until its extinction in 1980, it was known as Rhodesia...
which was cooperating with a detachment of the Northern Rhodesia Police
Northern Rhodesia Police
-History:Northern Rhodesia is now Zambia. Bounded by Angola , the Belgian Congo, German East Africa, British Central Africa , Mozambique , Mashonaland and Matabeleland , Bechuanaland and the Caprivi strip of German South West Africa , in 1889 it was not a political unit and...
(NRP). Captain Eason then became the new administrator. Lieutenant O'Sullevan of the NRP said that the Caprivi had
the largest, most vindictive, and venomous mosquitoes I have seen ... in the wet season it is a swamp and unhealthy; in the dry weather the heat is terrific, whilst the sand is deep and uncomfortable to walk in
German rule ended in Southwest Africa (Namibia) as Germany was stripped of its colonies after the First World War by the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. The South Africans took over the administrative centre at Schuckmannsburg but decided to abandon the place because of the annual heavy flooding of the area. Thus Schuckmannsburg lost its political importance when on 28 January 1935 Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo
Katima Mulilo is the capital of the Caprivi Strip, Namibia's far north–east extension into central Southern Africa. It comprises two electoral constituencies, Katima Mulilo Rural and Katima Mulilo Urban...
took its administrative functions. Because of a shortage of building material in Katima Mulilo – no shops and no buildings were present there at that time – many buildings were taken apart so that the bricks could be reused in the new regional seat.
Schuckmannsburg today
The village nowadays consists of wooden cabins and a few less sturdy buildings. The only intact relic of German colonial time is a little brick house with a floor area of about 12 m² built in 1909, the only brick building not dismantled for building material when the regional offices were moved to Katima Mulilo.Literature
- Rainer D.K. Bruchmann: Schuckmannsburg, Kuiseb-Verlag, Windhuk 1997, ISBN 99916-703-7-8
- Edward Paice: Tip and Run: the untold tragedy of the Great War in Africa, 2007, ISBN 0297847090, page 33