Seeis [ˈseːaɪs] is a small settlement in the Khomas Region

Khomas Region

Khomas is one of the thirteen regions of Namibia. It contains the capital city Windhoek and provides for this reason superior transportation infrastructure. It has well-developed economical, financial, and trade sectors. Khomas Region occupies 4.5% of the land area of Namibia but has the highest...

 of central 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...

. It is situated on the B6 national road

B6 road (Namibia)

The B6 is a national highway of eastern-central Namibia. It is part of the Trans Kalahari highway route, with a length of 290 kilometres and connects Windhoek with Botswana....

 11 km (6.8 mi) east of Hosea Kutako International Airport

Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport

Although Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main international airport of Namibia, yet there are no direct flights from/to this airport to/from countries other than its neighbouring countries , Zimbabwe, Ghana & Germany. Therefore most of the passengers flying into / out of Namibia must have...

 on the turnoff of the dirt road

Dirt road

Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...

 D1458. The Seeis Rivier

Wadi

Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...

, an ephemeral river, cuts the settlement. Seeis is a railway stop on the 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...

 - 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...

 railway line.

The settlement belongs to the Windhoek Rural electoral constituency

Windhoek Rural

Windhoek Rural is a constituency in the Khomas Region of Namibia. its population is 20,212. This constituency contains all settlements in the Khomas Region that are outside the city of Windhoek, among them:...

 and features a school and a police station. The Seeis stud warmblood

Warmblood

Warmbloods are a group of middle-weight horse types and breeds, primarily originating in Europe, registered with organizations that are characterized by open studbook policy, studbook selection, and the aim of breeding for equestrian sport...

 horse stud farm

Stud farm

A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to the...

 is located nearby. It has produced a number of successful sport horses and stallions.

History

Seeis was a populated outpost at least since German colonisation in the 1880s. Manasse ǃNoreseb

Manasse ǃNoreseb

Manasse ǃNoreseb Gamab was the thirteenth Kaptein of the Khaiǁkhaun , a subtribe of the Nama people in Namibia, between 1880 and 1905...

, leader of the Kaiǁkhaun, settled here with his clan in 1889 while fleeing from the approaching troops of Hendrik Witbooi

Hendrik Witbooi

Hendrik Witbooi may refer to:* Hendrik Witbooi * Hendrik Samuel Witbooi * Hendrik Witbooi , deputy prime minister of Namibia...

, his archenemy. At that time, Seeis was under the control of Maharero

Maharero

Maharero was one of the most powerful paramount chiefs of the Herero people in South-West Africa, today's Namibia.-Biography:...

, chief

Tribal chief

A tribal chief is the leader of a tribal society or chiefdom. Tribal societies with social stratification under a single leader emerged in the Neolithic period out of earlier tribal structures with little stratification, and they remained prevalent throughout the Iron Age.In the case of ...

 of the Herero people. In 1897 a post office was built, and it was situated on one of the few proclaimed roads.

In the Herero and Nama uprising

Herero and Namaqua Genocide

The Herero and Namaqua Genocide is considered to have been the first genocide of the 20th century. It took place between 1904 and 1907 in German South-West Africa , during the scramble for Africa...

 of 1904/05 Seeis was the location of two clashes between imperial Germany's

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...

 Schutztruppe

Schutztruppe

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. ...

and Herero troops under the leadership of Samuel Maharero

Samuel Maharero

Samuel Maharero was a Paramount Chief of the Herero people in German South-West Africa during their revolts and in connection with the events surrounding the Herero genocide.- Life :...

. In the Skirmish at Seeis Germans

Germans

The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....

 under Lieutenant von Niewitecki relieved the military stations at Seeis, Hohewarte and Hatsamas from Herero occupation on 21 January 1904. On 15 February 1904, fortunes changed and the Herero defeated a German troop under the command of von Fischel. This event is known as the Battle of Seeis. Seeis cemetery has a separate section of German war graves

German War Graves Commission

The German War Graves Commission is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of German war graves in Europe and North Africa...

 from that period, refurbished and maintained by the Farmers' Association of Seeis.

In the media

An adventure novel by Bernhard Voigt: Die Farmer vom Seeis-Rivier (The farmers of Seeis Rivier) was published in the late 1930s. This book inspired by national socialist ideas was banned in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany after World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

by the military administration.