Kolmanskuppe Tree and Church!

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

George thanks for the update. George when you are able to make contact with Ingo please ask him very nicely to try and get a tape recording of his dad's memories of Kolmans if Gunther is agreeable. We must make an effort to get this valuable information.

That is the problem, Ingo does not answer my mails

Somebody here asked about his wife Helga. Last year she was ill when i phoned, i guess if she gets worse, Ingo will drop me a line

I read all the posts on Kolmanns, interesting and entertaining

Video from one of my visits to the Machts, Hermanus Wildflowers

http://www.livevideo.com/media/tag/hermanus.aspx

http://www.livevideo.com/video/3743071AEB74404483CFBBD21B5BE966/wildflowers-south-africa.aspx?lastvcid=720424

[Leon Sumter]

Hi George. I know might sound like a stupid question but do you have his correct e-mail address?

[henniek]

Hi George , it was me enquiring about Helga - I heard that Ron Whiteley and Gunther both moved to ?? was it George ? , and the person then remarked that Helga's health was a concern .

[henniek]

ref to the photo of GARUP , posted by Diana , and yes Cherry - Garub was a railway station about a 100 km from Kolmanskop , Kolmanskop got their water from there by rail in what was called Torpedo Tankers .about 30 km further on , you get to Aus.
I attach the photo again- thanks Diana for posting it previously , otherwise it would have been lost for us who is intensely interested in these things

[henniek]

When I last visited our old house , it was still good to live in , with just a window pane missing here and there   , but standing there deserted , sand sifted in over the years , still solid -with  nothing more serious needed than a  good cleanup , and one could move in   . because I were much older then , I realised how increddibly much was achieved under the curcimstances . In my time the sand was gathered and removed by the cleaning gang , who carried the sand off and just dump it on the Northern border of the town . I once was a flowergirl for a wedding at Pomona , my farther added a big red geranium to my shoulder bouquet - I was  totally overdressed in German style despite the desert climate . the reception was held in a corrugated iron shed . All the eats were prepared by the women , assisted by the butcher end the baker and the men donated all the champagne , beer and cooldrinks 

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

Hi George , it was me enquiring about Helga - I heard that Ron Whiteley and Gunther both moved to ?? was it George ? , and the person then remarked that Helga's health was a concern .

I only know that the Reschkes are in George
Mike will have details

Have no idea where Ron is

I have no adress of Günter and Helga but the Cell phone Numbers, i had no reply there.

Write to me normal mail and i give you the details

Georg

Mail to: ageorgruf AT aol.com ( change the AT to "@" )

[Leon Sumter]

Is there not any other way we can track Ingo down?

Hennie, the power station that Marianne refers to I assume was in Kolmans. Am I correct?

[Leon Sumter]

how many of these buildings still exist in Kolmans? Is that the original clocktower that ended up on the OMD primary school?

[Michael Alexander]

@Leon, it is indeed, but mistakenly most people thought it came from the old school in Kolmanskop. In actual fact the tower came from the Admin building in Kolmanskop. What I am looking for, is the date that the clock was built in Kolmanskop, because you can add those years to the clocks 50 odd years in Oranjemund to get the real age of the clock/tower...

interesting I thought....

[henniek]

Leon , Yes . Marianne was refering to the Kolmanskop Powerstation

[henniek]

After the recreation club was built in Kolmans , the mine sponsored and braught out from Europe ,opera , theatre groups and orchestras for entertainment . and every sophisticated taste was catered for . Peole came from Luderitz to attend . these events were always in aid of charity . While the wind whipped sand across the windows , we enjoyed the perfect aoustics of the hall -   There was about 25 - 30 children attanding school .  boys and girls , more or less equal in number - and as it goes the older boys and girls each had a shy but secret admiration for a special friend  .  Our teacher was mrs Hussmann

[henniek]

The hospital and the two doctors stands out in my memory . Dr Kraenzle & Dr von Lossow . he was a bone specialist , but it was a assault to the senes to be examined by him unless , in self defence , one ate raw onions or garlic beforehand . The hospital had the finest X ray machine . When kolmanskop was closed down , the macine was sent as a present Owamboland . Although the swimmingpool was soon half filled with sand after closure of the town  , you could still see the beautiful Italian Terrazzo tiles .Although we were in the desert we had a school up to st 4 . There is a picture of me all dressed up for school . We did not have school uniforms as it was not German custom. But there I am dressed in Dirndl dress and long thick woolen stockings to protect ones legs from the stinging sand ........... Ladies come to the rescue please  - As I understand it Dirndl dress is peasant dress - or half dress or skirt ?? . and I suppose that she refer to a photo in the Kolmans  school or museum

[Leon Sumter]

....so Mike you're saying that the building with the clocktower in the old Kolmans photograph was the Kolmans admin building?? Yes that clocktower now on the OMD primary school must be approximately 80 years or so old. I wonder OPS has the original four Kolmans clocks. When you go past the OPS again Mike check the clocks out carefully to see if they have original German/Roman numbers.

[georgswa (Georg Ruf) (RIP)]

one of my visits to fam Machts in Kleinmond

[henniek]

spoke to Helga this morning - Gunther was at a mens breakfast