Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the southern part of Namibia, 10 kilometres inland from the port town of Lüderitz.
In 1908 when a railroad worker picked up a diamond, the German settler realized the area was rich in diamonds. The German government declared a large area as a restrictive location in order to exploit the diamond field. Due to the enormous wealth the diamond miners received, the residents built a village in the architectural style of a German town, complete with a hospital, school, ballroom, skittle-alley and even a casino. The town started to decline after World War I when the diamonds started to deplete, and by the 1930’s it was in full decline. Today this once rich town is taken over by the ruthless Namib Desert.
5 Facts about Kolmanskop
Kolmanskop is a ghost town in the southern part of Namibia, located 10km outside the port town, Lüderitz. Lüderitz is a 1-hour flight from Windhoek or a 6-hour drive on tarmac road from Windhoek.
A Ministry of Mines and Energy guide must always be present during filming. This person will be assigned by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Filming permissions for this location takes approximately 1 month as you are required by the Ministry of Mines and Energy to submit copies of all your issued work visas, and issued film permits from the Namibia Film Commission and the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, to their application form.
Kolmanskop is located inside both a national park and mining area, therefore it falls under the jurisdiction of both the Ministry of Environment and Tourism and the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
If you film in this area for more than 3 days, all film crew will be required to apply for a Police Clearance Certificate from their country of residence. Proof of clearance applications will be required to be added to the film permit applications.