Felsenkirche - Lüderitz's Iconic Church

Though when we first arrived we'd strolled past Lüderitz's iconic Felsenkirche aka Church on the Rock, we'd never been around for the one hour a day – 4pm-5pm - when the church was actually open for visitors to wander through. This church, high on a natural granite pedestal known as Diamond Hill, is the highest building in town and can be seen from pretty much everywhere. We happened to be in the neighborhood late one afternoon and wanted to take a look inside.

Felsenkirche is an Evangelical Lutheran church in keeping with Luderitz's strong German colonial heritage. Designed and built by German architect, Albert Bause, in a “neo-Gothic style with Victorian elements”, construction of the church began in 1911 and was completed in 1912. For such a small town, it's a pretty impressive piece of architecture, especially considering where and when it was built.

The inside of the church is quite simple with little adornment other than the stained-glass windows, which are magnificent.

As the sun streams through the windows in the late afternoon, it makes the whole visit, including climbing the steep hill to get there, all worthwhile. Over the altar is a window that portrays “Jesus calming the storm” … most appropriate for a harbor town. The window was donated by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

A triptych (3-paneled-window) portraying Martin Luther, founder of the Lutheran church, was donated by Duke Johann Abrecht of Mecklenberg, Germany. Albrecht's German Colonial Society had also donated the property upon which the church was built.

I noticed that the Duke couldn't resist having his name and coat of arms included in the window's fine art.

At the height of the diamond rush in Luderitz, the congregation grew to 800 members. Following WWI and the ceding of the territory to South Africa, the German population diminished significantly. The church was ransacked at one point, but today has been restored to pristine condition. It was declared a Namibian National Monument in 1978. Nowadays, the congregation is just 50 members and church services are only held once a month.

As we were leaving the church, I glanced up at the bell tower where two pigeons were perched. I recognized one pigeon as a common feral rock pigeon, but his neighbor, a beefy, all-black fellow with a white cere, was a bit unusual. I later identified it as a carneau pigeon, originally bred in northern France and used for food ... “squab”. I think this guy hangs around the church to thank God that he wasn't anyone's dinner.

Strolling Around Lüderitz

Now that we've figured out where the all the important shops and services are located, we can begin to explore the town and its history a bit. Portuguese explorer, Bartholomeu Dias, was the first European ashore here in 1488 and named the town Angra Pequena (little bay). Adolph Lüderitz, a German merchant, arrived in 1884 with the intent of starting a trading post, as well as a foothold for the German Empire in Africa.

The town's isolation at the edge of the Namib Desert along with the lack of fresh water and building materials hindered its growth. Ongoing clashes with local native people (the Nama and Herrero) added to the problems until a railway worker, Zacharias Lewala happened to discover a diamond in 1908 and turned it in to his supervisor. A diamond rush ensued causing the town to grow quickly. The rush lasted nearly 50 years. Today, diamonds are still a big part of Lüderitz's heritage and economy, but much less so than in the past. Fishing and tourism contribute to the town's economy and support its population of ~12,500 people, many of German heritage. More about diamonds in the near future.

Walking around town is easy and convenient. Everything is accessible on foot. Liz, our new friend at Lüderitz Safaris and Tours, gave us a hard-to-come-by heritage route map and we've been slowly making our way around town. Many of the German Art Nouveau buildings from the early 20th century are still standing and have been restored and have become national monuments and heritage sites.

It was not difficult to spot historical buildings as we walk along Bismarck Street, the town's main road.

We climbed the steep Diamantberg (Diamond Hill) to the Felsenkirche (Church of the Rock) which was consecrated in 1912, making it one of the oldest churches in Namibia. Built in a vertical Victorian Gothic style, it's also notable for its stained glass windows, a gift to Luderitz by the German Emperor Wilhelm II. It has limited visiting hours (4-5pm daily) and we intend to return when we can view the windows.

“Diamond palaces”, such as the Goerke House (1910) shown here, were opulent, luxurious mansions, built by wealthy diamond magnates and surround the area around the church. This house is now a private museum.

Berg Street was a pleasant street to walk down with its row of restored, colorful, historical houses.

It's sheer pleasure walking Lüderitz's quiet, historic streets. There's something to see at every turn. We've yet to get to the town's tiny museum, but it's on the list along with a return visit to the church and the Goerke House … and then there's a pub called Barrels. No wonder there's no time for chores.