During National Heritage Week, 16 to 20 September, 471 Grade 7 pupils of some schools in and around Grootfontein were invited for an educational visit to Das Alte Fort Museum in Grootfontein.
The pupils were guided through the museum by Marcus Prickett and Günther Friederich, whilst Magda Klitzke, the curator of the museum, attended to the welcoming and introduction of the museum to the pupils.
Pupils first were introduced to the first ever map drawn of the then German Protective Area,
(Deutsches Schutzgebiet) nowadays Namibia, drawn by a Dr Hartmann during the late 1800’s, intensively travelling through the area by ox-wagon, ox-cart or whatever means available by that time.
Instruments he used are displayed in a cabinet.
Photos of the unique Hoba meteorite was also on display. The exhibition showed how it looked like when it was found during 1920, by a Mr Britz, while hunting on the farm Hoba, close to Grootfontein. The Hoba meteorite is the biggest metal meteorite in the world.
The next room mainly depicted the history of old Grootfontein: Photos, household utensils, maps,
the first railways and –station in the town, old buildings – some of them still existing today.
From the first-ever calculators, through adding-machines, type-writers and copying machines, gramophones and tape-recorders, to photographic equipment, learners were given insight of the past school system.
Outside, pupils were shown an array of machinery and equipment of old times. An old transport ox wagon, built in 1920 in Omaruru, drew much attention. Especially when they were informed that the trip from Grootfontein to Swakopmund, for collecting goods, took more or less three weeks.
The pupils were all excited about entering the Himba-Room where traditional ways of living of the Ovahimba, Owambo, Okavango and San people exhibited there in detail.
The Committee of Das Alte Fort Museum, together with the Curator, the Museums Association of
Namibia, as well as the Heritage Foundation of Namibia, hope this action has made an impact on these pupils and their teachers, that they will take some of this information home, utilise it and make a future visit to this museum for further educational purposes an option.
Schools that have visited the Museum during those days:
Primary School Wilhelm Nortjé
Agricollege
Luiperdheuwel Primary School
Mariabronn Primary School
Kalenga Primary School
Makalani Primary School
