Bernburg/Staßfurt. Between 1985 and 1990, around 400 Namibian children and young people attended the ‘School of Friendship’ in Staßfurt. They came to the GDR from refugee camps during their country’s struggle for independence, grew up there and attended school in Löderburg and Staßfurt.
Many of the former pupils now live in the Ohangwena region in northern Namibia. However, their ties to the region have never been severed. The Salzlandkreis and the Ohangwena region in Namibia wish to build on this together – through a partnership. The initiative came from Namibia. Kadiva Hamutumwa, Governor of the Ohangwena region, approached the Salzlandkreis in autumn 2025.
An exhibition running from 9 September to 16 October in the foyer of the Sparkassenschiff in Staßfurt will explore a possible shared future. The exhibition is entitled “Namibia – Germany. Current Aspects of a Special Relationship’. It will be opened on Tuesday 8 September at 6.00 pm by District Administrator Markus Bauer, together with representatives from the Namibian Consulate. The project is supported by the Salzlandsparkasse, which is making its foyer in Staßfurt available for the occasion.
District Administrator Markus Bauer says, with regard to the Salzlandkreis 2030 strategy for the future: “Our district stands for business, housing and science. In all three areas, cooperation with Namibia can make a difference.” He explains: “Our businesses are looking for skilled workers, our agricultural sector has expertise that is needed elsewhere, and our schools and clubs thrive on cross-border contact.”
Cooperation is conceivable in the areas of vocational training and dual training programmes, in youth sports development and in agriculture. The Salzlandkreis is a major agricultural centre; in Ohangwena, the focus is, amongst other things, on improving methods for accessing water.
The story of Naita Hishoono shows just how recent this past still is. She arrived in the GDR on 18 December 1979 as a three-year-old, first in Bellin in Mecklenburg, and later in Staßfurt. Today she lives in Namibia again, where she heads the Namibia Institute for Democracy. Back then, the group at the boarding school became her new family. Various photographs show that, for many, Staßfurt was not just a stopover, but a home. Many people who now live in Namibia – and who later found themselves in Europe – learnt their way around and went to school in Staßfurt.
This is precisely where the Salzlandkreis comes in. Looking back should lead to a step forward. “In Staßfurt, we have a past that has shaped us for a long time. This memory is an asset we can build on,” says District Administrator Markus Bauer. “We don’t just want to commemorate this period; we want to breathe new life into it. That’s why we’re seeking dialogue with the people of Ohangwena. Where people know one another, trust is built. And where there is trust, both sides ultimately benefit.”
The exhibition tells the story of the Namibian children in Staßfurt and that of German-Namibian relations. It invites the people of the Salzland region to learn about this connection and to help foster it. For Naita Hishoono, the return in September represents both. It is a look back at her own childhood and a sign that this story continues.
- Exhibition: ‘Namibia – Germany. Current aspects of a special relationship’
- Opening: Tuesday, 8 September, 6 pm,
- Duration: 9 September to 16 October
- Venue: Foyer, Sparkassenschiff, Lehrter Straße 15, 39418 Staßfurt
- Opening hours: Mondays 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays 8.00 am to 6.00 pm, Wednesdays and Fridays 8.00 am to 3.00 pm
- Free admission