Kolmanskop

The history of the German settlement Kolmanskop (Kolmannskuppe in German) in the Namib desert can be told in a few words. The city was founded in 1908 as a mining camp and experienced a rapid rise to one of the richest cities in Africa due to the discovery of diamonds. However, this flourishing period lasted only a few years and with the relocation of diamond mining further south, the end of Kolmannskuppe began as a inhabited settlement. 

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The time as a inhabited city that was in spite of the hostile environment equipped with all imaginable luxury, lasted only about 30 years. The second exciting story of Kolmannskuppe was written by the Namib Desert. The houses have disintegrated over the years and the sand of the desert has reclaimed the place. The dunes did not stop on the streets and paths of the town, but conquered the interior of the houses, driven by the constant wind from the nearby coast.

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Thus an impressive urban ensemble emerged, which still seems to defy the outer structures of the desert today, and whose interior reflects the past time and the decay impressively.

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I visited Kolmannkuppe in 2013 and produced a photo book with grainy black and white photographs the same year. After the first edition of 70 copies was sold out rather quickly, I decided to produce a second numbered and signed edition of 50 copies. This edition comes with a supplementary small book containing also the color photographs from that visit. 

Pictures taken with Leica M7, Leica M9, and Nikon D700.