Kolmanskop, a former diamond town, abandoned for 60 years

South of the Namib Desert (Namibia), Kolmanskop, a ghost town, abandoned more than 60 years ago, is still standing. The last inhabitants left in 1958 and now only a few tourists venture into the town. “It’s incredible, to see all this sand that has invaded the place“, assures a woman. “I thought there were ghosts here, I wanted to see this and know the whole history of this place“, rejoices for his part a teenager.

The city was founded in 1908 by settlers hunting diamonds. “It was the diamond capital, a boom town, ruled by the Germans. They Collected Diamonds For 50 Years, Then They Found Bigger Ones Elsewhere“, explains Janie Thompson, guide in Kolmanskop for ten years. This commune was one of the richest in the world at the beginning of the 20th century. The Namibians never benefited from this luxury: thousands of them were killed and exploited during colonization Diamond mines are still active in the region.