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Fascinating culture of the San

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Culture of the Zambezi region

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Hunter-gatherer culture of the Damara

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Unique culture of the Ovahimba

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San culture of the Kalahari

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Bantu culture of the Okavango

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San culture of Northern Namibia

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Project conception

A description of the concept and the aims of the Living Museums in Namibia

The Living Museum

A living museum is a settlement of a specific language group build in such way as it used to be built before the European colonial influence changed the traditional culture. The participants working at the living museums act out the great variety of their original culture. The actors wear traditional clothes reconstructed for the museum and offer activities representing the equivilent past to interested guests with the main focus on the highest possible degree of authenticity.

The aims of the Living Museum

The main aim of the Living Museum is to give members of a certain language group - and especially there children - the possibilty to deal with the origins of their culture and thus understand their cultural background. This may contribute to regain of cultural identity. It may help to understand the complicated situation in modern Namibia and could finally help to find solutions for social problems.

Another aim of the Living Museum is the creation of an income for poor communities in Namibia. This can be acheived through the tourism industry in Namibia. But not only tourists, also pupils, students and every Namibian can support a Living Museum and learn interactivley about the fascinating traditions of the presented culture.

Therefore another aim of the Living Museum is to create an intercultural dialogue and support tolerance and cultural approximation. The actors of the Living Museum are not only actors, they are teachers for guests and their own children.

Cultural and intercultural linkCultural and intercultural link

Living Museums in Namibia

Please find an overview of all Living Museum in Namibia

Latest News

21 May 2025
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 tha...
21 May 2025
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...
07 January 2025
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-Tuck...
16 September 2024
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 vi...
20 November 2023
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 ...
04 October 2023
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...