The white front
Half-timbering and red roofs.
Bgabel — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Zairon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bernhard Dunst — CC BY-SA 4.0
Goerke House is a grand colonial mansion in Lüderitz, shaped by Art Nouveau elements and set on Diamond Hill above the town, close to the Felsenkirche. Listed among Namibia's national monuments, it ranks among the finest buildings in the south of the country, with red roofs and a white half-timbered front. It went up between October 1909 and September 1910 to plans by Otto Ertl, as the home of Lieutenant Hans Goerke, who headed a diamond company in Lüderitz before returning to Germany in 1912. A diamond company bought it in 1920 and sold it in 1944 to the administration, which used it as the local magistrate's residence. In 1983 the company bought it back, restored it and has since used it as a guest house. The front features a sundial on the tower, half-timbering, bay windows and carved wooden balconies. The house sits on a rock base among palms and shrubs, rare greenery in this dry land. Inside, it is known for impressionist ceiling paintings and Art Nouveau stained glass with flamingo motifs, though the oak furniture is no longer original. The house lies about 100 m from the Felsenkirche and 9.7 km from Kolmanskop in a straight line. As a company guest house, access is not guaranteed, so ask locally about tours. The exterior can be enjoyed at any time from the street and hill, and you should not enter the garden without permission.
Half-timbering and red roofs.
Set on the tower above the balconies.
Art Nouveau stained windows.
Diamond Hill, Lüderitz, Namibia
It is not guaranteed, as it is a company guest house, so ask locally.
Lieutenant Hans Goerke, who headed a diamond company in Lüderitz.
