Traditional cultures in Namibia

Project meeting Kaptein Pos

After the Living Hunter’s Museum at /Xa//oba had to be closed in January, the idea emerged to make a new start together with !Amace N!Aici. !Amace N!Aici is a Ju/’Hoansi who has been involved in the work of Living Museums since 2004 and therefore brings many years of experience to the project. At present, he runs a small craft shop in Tsumkwe and also works as a Bushman guide. At the same time, he has the strong wish to establish his own village in the wilderness and help build up a new Living Museum.

The students of the University of Wuppertal, Franka Luisa Fischer and Henning Knopp, produced the film “Ju/'Hoansi – The Guardians of Their Culture” together with our association. In addition to extensive research, they spent several weeks filming at the Hunter’s Living Museum near Tsumkwe. The result is an emotional documentary about the old and new culture of the San people in Namibia.

On 4 September 2025, the documentary “Ju/'Hoansi – Guardians of Their Culture” by Franka Fischer and Henning Kopp celebrated its premiere – at a very special location: Tangermünde, the founding place of the LCFN.

Meeting Grashoek Ju/’Hoansi Living Museum 23.05. & 24.05.2025

Kathrin Dürrschmidt

On Sunday, 18.05.2025 morning I received a phone call from the manager of the Ju/’Hoansi Living Museum, Apollo, informing me that the police arrived in Grashoek that morning to investigate a guest that had taken pictures of children and that there apparently was a problem.

On Wednesday, 21.05.2025 I spoke to Apollo again. The British tourist had been arrested and was faced with 38 charges including rape and child trafficking and indecent assault. Apollo was not aware of any of those assaults and said it would be better if we came up to Grashoek to have a meeting.

The Living Culture Foundation Namibia (LCFN), representative of the seven official Living Museums in Namibia, was informed on Sunday by the manager of the Living Museum in Grashoek about the incident in which a visitor to the Ju/'Hoansi Living Museum in Grashoek allegedly took nude photographs of minors.

Incredible but true! The Living Museum in Grashoek, Namibia’s first Living Museum, celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024.

For this occasion, we organized a small commemorative event in December 2024 together with Carsten Möhle from Bwana Tucke-Tucke, featuring an archery tournament followed by a dinner!

In the Mbunza Living Museum, another major infrastructure project financed by our association was completed in September 2024.

The Living Culture Foundation Namibia helped setting up a small campsite including a shower and toilet for travelers who visit the Mbunza Living Museum to further support the Living Museum.

During the last project tour, the idea of a traditional workshop at the Mbunza Living Museum came about. The aim of the workshop was to improve traditional craft techniques that originally played a role in the respective traditional cultures and are now demonstrated in the living museums, as well as to relearn lost techniques. Furthermore, the workshop should also contribute to intercultural exchange. It was the first time that members from all seven Living Museums came together.

The Living Culture Foundation Namibia is organizing a traditional workshop and music festival for all Living Museums from Monday, October 30, 2023 to Friday, November 3, 2023. The workshop will take place at the Mbunza Living Museum, approximately 15 km west of Rundu.

The employees and patients of the dialysis clinics in Tangermünde and Genthin handed over a donation of €4,000 to Dr. Ralf Kühn, founding member and chairman of the board of the German-Namibian association Living Culture Namibia at his farewell party from work. This money was given to the Living Culture Foundation as a grant for the further development of the museum landscape in Namibia.