Lüderitz is a quirky town lodged in one of the best harbors on the least hospitable coast in Africa. This town in a bay along the stormy sea of the Atlantic Ocean was one of the first places where Europeans looked for shelter in Namibia. The town was named after a German from Bremen who bought the bay and surrounding farms for 250 guns and 600 British pounds. One year later, Bismarck declared the area a part of the German Reich, which started the colonization of Southwest Africa.
In the beginning, the town did not play much of a part in the economy, om account of its remoteness. This, however, changed instantly when diamonds were found 15km inland at Kolmanskop. Unfortunately for the town the industrial boom lasted for a few years only when the diamond mining company moved to Oranjemund where diamond mining was more profitable.
Unfortunately for Lüderitz the harbor has a rock bottom and the shallow depth has meant that modern ships have not been able to use the harbor, this has meant that the main thrust of the Namibian shipping industry is based in Walvis Bay, recently the addition of a new quay has allowed larger fishing vessels to dock at Lüderitz. Recently Lüderitz has re-styled itself in an attempt to lure tourists to the area, and there is a new waterfront shopping and office area.The town center has a few well restored buildings in art deco of Wilhelmian style.
