Description

Cross-shaped ground layout. The appearance in comparison to the original church is much different. It once had a castelated flat roof and a cambered decorative gable in front. Length of the long nave measuring 20 m, the nave across is 19m. Built from air-dried bricks. Small bell tower some metres from the entrance that was built later, maybe together with the fence. It replaced two simple bells hanging on frames on the opposite side of the church. It once housed two bells, now only one remains. Narrow windows, set high in the walls. Bible passages in Nama and Herero are behind the altar. Wooden benches with backrests. Missionaries, German soldiers and Christian Hereros were buried on the cementery. Famous persons who are buried here: Wilhelm Maharero, Nikodemus Kavekunua.

Brief History

After an unsuccessfull try of Peter Kolbe in 1849, the Rhenish Mission Society resumed their work at this place in 1870. Ph. Diehl and J. Irle started building this church in 1871 with the communities assistence. As oldest building in Okahandja it was consecrated in 1876 by Ph. Diehl. It was often used as refuge. Before the German Evangelical Lutheran Church built a church in 1952 on the opposite, it also served as a meeting point for Germans and locals. No more services were held at all after this date until its restoration. [Vera Geleijnse in Allgemeine Zeitung, 31.08.1988: The Apartheit politics forced the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the late 1960s to built a new church in the "black" part of the town, therefore, this one was abandoned for more than 20 years.]