Duwisib - a Castle in the Namib Desert, one of the oldest deserts of the world

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Duwisib                   Castle
                                           

In spite of its fortress-like appearance, Duwisib Castle has never been anything else but a private home of an extravagant German-American couple who endured many hardships to make their dreams of freedom, large-scale land ownership, and recognition within a wealthy colonial society come true - the 19th-century masters of Duwisib, Hansheinrich von Wolf and his wife Jayta.
They enjoyed the luxuries they had imported from Germany and festivities with occasional visitors for only a few years, until World War I caught up with them.

The building's architecture imitates that of German castles from the Middle Ages, which once had been the centres of social activities, of sophistication, wealth, knowledge and power in an otherwise deprived society.

Whether von Wolf intended to demonstrate with this structure the longevity of German rule in Africa or simply fancied the unusual style combined with the latest household conveniences of the early 1900's remained a mystery for today's visitors to ponder.