Kolmanskop, the Town Filled with Sand
In the Namib Desert, sand has poured into the grand houses of an abandoned diamond town, filling rooms to the windowsills.
What was reported
In 1908 a railway worker near Lüderitz, in what was then German South West Africa, found a diamond in the sand. A diamond rush followed, and Kolmanskop grew into a wealthy town with grand houses, a hospital with an early X-ray machine, a ballroom and an ice factory.
When richer diamond fields were found further south, people moved away, and by 1956 the town was empty.
Explanations offered
Desert winds have since blown sand into the buildings, so photographers find rooms half-filled with dunes. It's a striking picture of how quickly the desert takes back a town. Visitors need a permit.
- When
- Abandoned by 1956
- Where
- Kolmanskop, near Lüderitz, Namibia
- Witnesses
- Visitors and photographers
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.