National Heritage Council-Site Information

OMEG-Minenbuero

Other Site Details

Classification	\|	A.11.3.3. (Complexes of) Buildings, Private, Business Buildings
Proclamation No	\|	108/1990
Place	\|	Tsumeb
Region	\|	Oshikoto
Site Environment	\|	Residential area, close to hospital and the Second Director's House.
Instangible Aspects	\|	The clock helped the mine labourers to know what time to start working. Once a year, the clock was set on a certain date according to a certain star. This always used to turn into a festive occasion.
Previous Use	\|	Residence before completition, office until 1950, kindergarten, Freemason's Lodge, library, church.
Current Use	\|	School.
Refences	\|	Official Gazette 5895, No. AG 13, 1990. Vogt, Andreas, "National Monuments in Namibia", Windhoek 2004, p.186-187.
Legal Status	\|	Declared as National Monument on 15.02.1990 by the National Monuments Council of South Africa (NMC, National Monuments Act 1969, No. 28).

Description

Entrance through the two round arches of the veranda. Clocktower with walkway and pyramidical shaped roof and a stone base, similar to the "Hochzeitsturm" in Darmstadt, Germany. Inconsistent architectural features. Measuring 14 acres and 70m².

Brief History

Erected in 1907, probably by Rudolf Mann, and therefore the oldest building of Tsumeb. In 1947 it was sold to the American "O'okiep Copper Company" by the Guardian of Alien Property - Tsumeb Corporation Ltd. When OMEG was taken over by TCL it continued to serve as an office, until TCL established new offices in Main Street in 1950. The building was leased over as a kindergarten, public library and Methodist Church. In 1994 the Tsumeb Gymnasium moved in. In 1998 it was bought by it from TCL.