Keetmanshoop, ǁKaras Region, Namibia

🇳🇦 Keetmanshoop is a town in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and benefactor of the city.

History Stamps for German South West Africa postmarked Keetmanshoop 1899

Before the colonial era, the settlement was known as ǂNuǂgoaes or Swartmodder, both meaning "Black Marsh" and indicating the presence of a spring in the area. The first white settler, Guilliam Visagie, arrived here in 1785. When in February 1850 the Kharoǃoan clan (Keetmanshoop Nama) split from the Red Nation, the main subtribe of the Nama people, they settled permanently in the area. In 1860 the Rhenish Missionary Society founded a mission there to christianise the local Nama people. The first missionary, Johann Georg Schröder, arrived in Keetmanshoop on April 14, 1866, which is now marked as the founding date of Keetmanshoop. The mission station was named after the German trader and director of the Rhenish Missionary Society, Johann Keetman who supported the mission financially, although he never actually visited the place himself.

Notable buildings The Rhenish Missionary Church was erected in 1895 and now also contains a museum. It was declared a historic monument in 1978 and is a well-known landmark. Its unique combination of Gothic architecture cast in African stone makes it one of the architectural masterpieces in the country and a popular tourist attraction. Other notable buildings are the Schützenhaus (marksmen's club house, 1905–07), the railway station building (1908) and the Imperial Post Office (now the Keetmanshoop tourist information, erected in 1910).

The town is situated near two quiver tree forests, one of them being a national monument and a major tourist attraction of Namibia. Also close to Keetmanshoop is the Naute Dam and the Neckertal Dam - largest dam in the country.

The J. Stephanus Stadium is located in Keetmanshoop and is home to Fedics United F.C., a football team in the Namibia Premier League.

Keetmanshoop is an important centre for the Karakul sheep farming community.

Politics Keetmanshoop is governed by a municipality council that currently has seven seats.