Kolmanskop
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Sue Wolfe
About this spot
In the middle of the Namib Desert’s “forbidden zone” is the ghost town of Kolmanskop. It all started in 1908, when a Namibian railway worker, removing sand from the train tracks, saw stones shining in the low light. His German employer realized they were diamonds and soon hordes of prospectors descended upon the area.
By 1912, Kolmanskop was a wealthy town of 1,200 in the barren desert. The mine produced a million carats per year—12% of the world’s total. Diamonds were so plentiful miners would crawl on their hands and knees filling up jam jars with precious stones. It was self-contained with all the luxuries of a German town—a butcher, a baker, a post office, and a hospital.
Kolmanskop’s heyday ended when a larger diamond reserve was found in Oranjemund. People followed the stones and Kolmanskop was completely empty by 1956. When the families moved out—the sand moved in. You do not have to worry about footsteps—the wind frequently sweeps away the traces of previous visitors.
Today the area sits in a restricted zone controlled by De Beers and the Namibian government.
By 1912, Kolmanskop was a wealthy town of 1,200 in the barren desert. The mine produced a million carats per year—12% of the world’s total. Diamonds were so plentiful miners would crawl on their hands and knees filling up jam jars with precious stones. It was self-contained with all the luxuries of a German town—a butcher, a baker, a post office, and a hospital.
Kolmanskop’s heyday ended when a larger diamond reserve was found in Oranjemund. People followed the stones and Kolmanskop was completely empty by 1956. When the families moved out—the sand moved in. You do not have to worry about footsteps—the wind frequently sweeps away the traces of previous visitors.
Today the area sits in a restricted zone controlled by De Beers and the Namibian government.
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