Rhenish Mission Church (Okahandja)
| Rhenish mission church and cemetery in Okahandja | |||
|---|---|---|---|
National monument in Namibia 
|
|||
 |
|||
| Monument type | Monument ( church ) | ||
| location | Okahandja | ||
| Geographic coordinates : | 21 ° 59 '3.9 " S , 16 ° 55' 7.5" O | ||
|
|||
| Emergence | 1876 | ||
|
Recognized by the National Heritage Council |
20th December 1975 | ||
| Deprivation | |||
| Sponsorship | ? | ||
| Website | NHC Namibia | ||
The Rhenish Mission Church with Cemetery in Okahandja (also known as Herero Church or Bantu Church ) is a church with cemetery in Okahandja in the central highlands of Namibia . It has been a National Monument since December 20, 1975 .
The area of today's city of Okahandja was first explored by Reverend Heinrich Schmelen , a missionary of the Rhenish Mission Society . He called it Schmelen Hope . A mission had been planned here since 1840, but it was only established by two missionaries around 1870. The church building followed in 1876 and was consecrated in the same year .
The church was used by the Rhenish Mission Society until 1952.
Church building
The mission church was built in the shape of a cross from local building material and bricks made by the company itself. The tall, narrow windows are a special feature. A small bell tower is located a few meters from the church building. Originally it was built with two bells, of which only one is left today.
graveyard
Behind the church is a small cemetery where missionaries , residents of the area and above all high-ranking Herero leaders are buried. These include Maharero and Nicodemus Kavikunua .
The Herero Day commemorative festival takes place every year at the cemetery .
literature
- Andreas Vogt : National Monuments in Namibia. An inventory of proclaimed national monuments in the Republic of Namibia. Gamsberg Macmillan, Windhoek 2004, ISBN 99916-0-593-2 .
