National Museum of Namibia

The National Museum of Namibia is a historical and zoological museum in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

Location and description

Alte Feste in Robert Mugabe Avenue, 2006

The National Museum is accommodated at three different places in central Windhoek. The Owela Display Centre (after the Owela board game) houses the zoological and general scientific collection. It is located in Lüderitz Street, sharing a building with the Windhoek Public Library. The Alte Feste Museum houses the historic collection. It is accommodated at the Alte Feste building in Robert Mugabe Avenue, next to the Independence Memorial Museum. Administration and the National Museum Library, established in 1963, are situated also on Robert Mugabe Avenue, opposite the Alte Feste.

History

A museum was established by the Imperial German administration of German South West Africa in 1907. It was called the Landesmuseum (German: state museum). In 1925, with the territory now under South African administration, the museum was renamed the South West Africa museum. Responsibility of the museum was transferred to the South African government of South West Africa in 1957, and the name changed to State museum. After Namibian independence in 1990 it was administered by the Government of Namibia, and in 1994 the name was changed to National Museum of Namibia.

References

Further reading

• Antje Otto-Reiner: From Landesmuseum to National Museum of Namibia. The National Museum of Namibia, Windhoek 2007.