BETHANIE
Founded as a mission station in 1814. The name is of biblical origin and means ‘house of sorrow’, or ‘house of misery’ in Hebrew.
Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Evangelical Lutheran Church – this mission church was built by Herman Heinrich Kreft of the Rhenish Mission Society. It was erected in 1859. Consecrated on 26 June 1859. The towers decayed and was removed. When the stone church was used this old church was used as a school. In 1998 restorations were done by the National Monuments Council which included the reconstruction of the two towers. The church complex (church, house and cemetery) was proclaimed a national monument on 17 August 1978.
Schmelen House
• Schmelen House – Built by Johann Heinrich Schmelen of the London Missionary Society shortly after his arrival in 1814. He stayed here until his departure in 1834. It burnt down. Missionary Hans Christian Knudsen of the Rhenish Mission Society arrived in 1842 and rebuilt the house from the remaining foundations. The oldest existing building in Namibia. Proclaimed a national monument on 1 February 1952. It was revoked and the whole complex was proclaimed a national monument on 17 August 1978.
Missionaries Cemetery
• Missionaries Cemetery – Here the missionaries and their relatives who had worked here lie buried. Included was missionary Kreft, Johannes Bam, M Gorth and other. Part of the church complex it was proclaimed a national monument on 17 August 1978.
