Religion as a colonial and architectural heritage
Right in the middle of a traffic circle in the capital, Windhoek, stands the Church of Christ, an architectural reminder of a colonial era when Namibia was ruled by Germany. Extremely well-preserved, the church is an eye-catcher with its red brick, stone walls and rounded white outlines around the windows. Its architecture is a cross between Gothic and Art Nouveau. If you venture inside, you'll see stained glass windows decorated with flowers and geometric motifs in the Jugendstil style, an artistic movement equivalent in Germany to Art Nouveau, a modern art form that brings together all the disciplines of the late 19th century. At the time, this Windhoek church was built as a tribute to the German victims of the conflicts between the Herero and Nama communities at the beginning of the 20th century. Although the church presents itself as a symbol of peace, we only find the names of German victims on the bronze commemorative plaques. Yet the Herero and Nama populations suffered tens of thousands of victims between 1904 and 1908. A tragedy now recognized as the first genocide of the 20th century. But when the church bells are rung, it's worth remembering that one of them is engraved in bronze: "Friede auf Erden", translated as "Peace on Earth".
Lutheran cities
In southern Namibia, we arrive in the oldest town in South-West Africa, known as Lüderitz. Built in those days by German merchants, its Evangelical Lutheran church still stands as the town's effigy. A little further up the coast, the small town of Swakopmund, with its well-preserved colonial architecture, is also a Protestant town with a Lutheran church.
Deeply rooted traditional beliefs
Traditional beliefs are sometimes a natural complement to the Christian faith. These beliefs are less recognized and "quantified", but are nonetheless deeply rooted. It is estimated that around 20% of Namibians remain very faithful to traditional beliefs, putting animism in second place after Christianity. Traditional ceremonies based on ancestral African mythologies are still very common today, and have been practiced by a significant proportion of the population from generation to generation for thousands of years, particularly by the Herero and Himba peoples. The Herero, Himba and San are animists. They believe in the spirits that animate the living, objects and elements of nature. In Himba villages, the inhabitants are proud to show where the "sacred fire" is located, a place of worship protected by the fire keeper. The sacred fire plays a central role in communicating with the dead and ancestors. It must never be extinguished, or the relationship between the living and the dead, spiritually maintained by the flames, would be broken.
