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Erika von Wietersheim
Erika von Wietersheim, born in 1952 in Lüderitzbucht, Namibia, lives in Windhoek as an author and journalist. After her studies at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, she ran a farm in the south of Namibia with her husband, the later Minister for Agriculture Anton von Wietersheim, and established a farm school for all children on and around the farm. Until today the social commitment for the reconciliation between the different Namibian cultures is an important part of her work.
Books
NAMIBIA Land of Many Cultures
Living between Tradition and Modernity
by Charmaine ǁGamxamûs and Erika von Wietersheim
228 p. • colour photos & map • 2025 • ISBN 978-99945-76-57-9 • 170 x 240 mm • Namibia Scientific Society/Kuiseb Publishers
This book informs the reader about the multiple cultures and language groups of Namibia and celebrates this richness. The focus is not on ethnographic facts as presented by anthropologists and missionaries in the past, but on cultural factors, traditions, and values that still shape our society today – some very different and some surprisingly similar. The different chapters are authored by members from the different communities and thus provide insights and interpretations “from inside”. The aim is to encourage understanding of each other’s histories and differences, and to promote respect and cooperation, both for Namibians and visitors to our country.
“By highlighting both the distinctiveness and shared values of Namibia’s communities, this book contributes toward building what is often called the ‘Namibian House’: a place where all have a voice and a rightful place.”
Anna Hoffmann-Kwanga, Resident Representative, Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, Namibia-Angola Office
“The book you hold in your hands has been deliberately designed to be reader-friendly, accessible, and relevant … By addressing the realities and aspirations of our people, it encourages deeper understanding among Namibia’s different language and ethnic groups, while also offering valuable perspectives to visitors and tourists seeking to experience our country beyond stereotypes or misconceptions.”
Mbumba Erastus Haitengela, Executive Director, Ministry of Education, Innovation, Youth, Sports, Arts and Culture
Good Morning Namibia
by Erika von Wietersheim
328 p. • 2020 • ISBN 978-99945-76-68-5 • 120 x 190 mm
In this biographical narrative, Erika von Wietersheim takes us back to the time between 1976 and Namibia’s independence in March 1990. It is the story of a twofold emancipation: After her studies at the rather liberal University of Cape Town, the young Namibian returns to her motherland to live with her husband Anton on the farm of her parents-in-law. There, she is confronted with traditional apartheid structures and relationships. What can she do to change the existing situation and contribute to a more just society for the people on the farm and in the country? One answer is education. She establishes a school on the farm – initially without any outside help and against official regulations. In this way, she comes into living contact with Namibian children, their parents and their culture and with time, with important people of Namibia’ independence movements like Hendrik Witbooi, Hage Geingob, and Anton Lubowski.
The author artfully interweaves the story of her life on the farm with political backgrounds and developments, gives us insight into the culture of the local Nama people, describes the ups and downs of everyday life on a farm and demonstrates that, also among white Namibians, there were serious endeavours to make Namibia a more just and self-determined society.