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Jubilee Festivities: 100 Years later - 10.04.07
The little village of just 1,200 souls probably experienced
a meteoric population growth of about 75 percent during
the Easter weekend. From Good Friday to Easter Sunday
Aus turned into a hive of festive activity, complete
with marquee, stalls, braaivleis (barbecue), biltong
(dried meat), music and dancing. The theme of the celebrations
was 'Aus – a century later'. A railway link between
Aus and the harbour town of Lüderitz was established
by the German Colonial Administration some 100 years
ago. |
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One of the
highlights was the contest 'Man against Machine': cyclists
raced the train for about 20 km from Aus station to
the stop at Garub, where the Wild Horses of the Namib
come to drink at the trough. The cyclists won the challenge
with ease: they just had to pedal downhill for about
18 km whereas the railway line runs in a wide bend to
cope with a 500 m difference in altitude. Dozens of
spectator-passengers witnessed the race while enjoying
the train ride in the bar carriage. |
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The theme
for the festivities was chosen deliberately: Aus
– a century later. Because on the one hand
the first train already pulled into the settlement
on 1 November 1906, and on the other hand Aus
already existed before the railway line was built:
Bushmen and !Aman Oorlam (related to the Nama)
had stayed or settled at the spring, which once
existed there, long before the Germans arrived.
The place was, however, somewhat out of the way
of the transport route 30 km further south via
Kubub which was used for ox wagon journeys between
the interior and the coastal settlement of Lüderitz.
Thus Aus started to flourish with the advent of
the railways: within a short period of time a
post office, two hotels, a hospital, several shops
and a boarding school were built...
Later the little village experienced an upswing
brought about by the Karakul industry, which also
celebrates its centenary this year:
in 1907 the German furrier company |
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Traces of history:
a commemorative plaque at the ruins of the POW
camp from the First World War. |
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Thorer
brought the first Karakul sheep to what was then the
German colony of South West Africa from Uzbekistan.
Aus became a centre of the lucrative business of Karakul
farming.
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Two
decades after the dramatic decline of this industry
during the eighties, tourism is taking over as a driving
force of development. Thanks to the Wild Horses of the
Namib 20 km west of Aus, the diverse nature, fascinating
history and the Aus Information Centre (opened in July
2006), Aus has already taken its rightful place on the
travellers' route through southern Namibia. |
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Pointing
the way ahead: winter rains transform the desert of
the Succulent Karoo into a dazzling carpet of flowers. |
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However, up
to now only few know about the full scope of its attractions:
The Khoichab Dune Belt offers a similar desert experience
as the Sossusvlei, but is far less frequented. And the
western slopes of the Aus Mountains are also referred
to as 'Namibia’s Namaqualand' - winter rains transform
the barren land into a dazzling carpet of flowers. |
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In the near
future Aus is set to serve as a gateway to the Diamond
Restricted Area (Sperrgebiet) which has been declared
a national park and is due to be opened up for tourism
shortly. Largely untouched by man and seen as one of
the last wilderness areas, it offers the grand natural
scenery of the Succulent Karoo, the most biodiverse
desert on earth. |
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