German funding breathes life into Alte Feste

Windhoek’s iconic Alte Feste, long closed and crumbling from years of neglect, is finally on track for a long-awaited revival after the German embassy committed more than N$4 million towards its repair and restoration.

The restoration forms part of a joint initiative between the Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sport, Arts and Culture and the Namibia Art, Craft and Design Centre, which will work alongside several partners to breathe new life into the 134-year-old building.

Announcing the financial support, the German embassy’s minister counsellor and deputy head of mission Florian Seitz said Germany is proud to contribute to the preservation of a site that is central to Namibia’s layered and often painful history.

He praised Namibian institutions and international partners for envisioning a future in which Alte Feste becomes more than a monument as it is set to be transformed into a vibrant, multipurpose space for cultural exchange, learning, entrepreneurship, and remembrance.

Constructed in 1890 during German colonial rule, Alte Feste remains Windhoek’s oldest historic building. Over its long history, it has transformed repeatedly: from a military stronghold to the headquarters of South African Union troops, and from a hostel for Windhoek High School pupils to the National Museum of Namibia after independence.

However, after decades of strain and limited maintenance, the structure was declared unsafe and shut down in 2014. Its once-grand walls are now a symbol of the urgent need to preserve Namibia’s architectural heritage.

The new restoration programme, backed by N$4.2 million from the German federal foreign office’s cultural preservation programme for the 2025/26 cycle, aims to transform Alte Feste into an accessible cultural, educational, and economic hub.

The Namibia Art, Craft and Design Centre will serve as the implementing partner for the project.

Once rehabilitated, Alte Feste is expected to become the future home of the Namibia Craft Centre and a major anchor for the country’s creative economy.

Plans also indicate that it will house the National Genocide Museum, a long-discussed institution intended to honour and document the experiences of communities affected by colonial-era atrocities.

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