The German embassy in Windhoek has announced a N$3.2 million (€166 208) allocation supporting the repair and rehabilitation of the historic Alte Feste building. This funding will be provided through the Federal Foreign Office’s Cultural Preservation Programme for 2025-2026.

The renovation initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture and the Namibia Craft Centre. The plan includes transforming the building into the National Genocide Museum and Arts, Crafts and Heritage Centre of Excellence.

German Ambassador Thorsten Hutter commented on the importance of the project: “The renovations of the building can facilitate discussions about the colonial legacy among future generations and help us learn from history. We applaud our Namibian and international partners for this initiative to turn the Alte Feste into a place of cultural exchange and remembrance.”

Constructed in 1890 as the headquarters of the German Schutztruppe, the Alte Feste is Windhoek’s oldest historical building. It later served as the headquarters for South African Union troops and as a hostel for Windhoek High School until 1935. Following Namibia’s independence in 1990, the building became the National Museum but was closed to the public in 2014.

In 2020, the German Foreign Office supported emergency measures to stabilise the Alte Feste. Hutter noted that the project is intended to transform a colonial-era structure into a space of socio-economic and cultural importance for Namibia’s communities.