Mariental Hotel has a long
standing history . . .
Ernst Stumpfe, the
founder of the town Mariental, was born on the 17th of January
in Ludwigsdorf, Germany. He joined the German
Schutztruppen in 1894 and was send to Namibia or Sudwest Africa
as it was known in those days. After a very successful
career in the Schutztruppen he resigned on the 31st December
1899. He the joined the German Administration in the
Police force and served for many years in the Police force and
while stationed at Gibeon, He put in an application to the Head
of the District that the farm Koichas be reserved for him until
he retire from the Police Force.
On the grounds of his excellent service record, this request was
granted on the 22nd September 1905. On the 1st April 1908
a sale agreement was drawn up for the farm Koichas for 50
pfenning per hectare. Because of his good service record
in the Schutztruppen he got 5000 hectare free and the
price was lowered to 40 pfenning per hectare by the German
Governor in Windhoek. Thus on the 1st August 1908 he bought
12127 hectare for a total of 4850,8 Mark and paid it of over a
period of 9 yrs
In 1911 the
Government started to build a railway from Windhoek to
Keetmanshoop and when the building team setup camp on Koichas
and realised its importance of a halfway station where
locomotive could changed etc. Stumpfe granted a 70 hectare
to the Railways. After the erection of the Station
Building and shed, the station became known as Mariental-West.
Mariental-West soon became a trading centre and also the Police
Station that was located about 20km to the east on the farm
Marienthal was moved here for practical reasons. To
preserve continuity Mariental-West was only named Mariental
without the h. In 1914 Stumpfe applied to the German
Authorities that he may start a town at Mariental, but already
businesses where started and a few houses where build.
Stumpfe immediately started with the measuring out and selling
of plots. He himself build a Hotel, which was the forerunner of
today's Mariental Hotel. Periodic court sittings was taken
care of by the Magistrate of Gibeon and church services was also
held on the town.
The hotel had various owners, but was completely destroyed in a
fire during 1989, the stood derelict for about 7 yrs when it was
bought by Mr. Ernst Simon and rebuild to one of the Country's
finest hotels. It was again damaged by floods in 2000 and
2006 after which it was renovated and a new section build to add
more rooms.
