Wilhelm Sander (10 December 1860, in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

– 22 November 1930, in

Lüderitz Lüderitz is a town in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia. It lies on one of the least hospitable coasts in Africa. It is a port developed around Robert Harbour and Shark Island. The town is known for its colonial architecture, includi ...

) was a master

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

and contractor working for Sander & Kock known for his work in

German South West Africa German South West Africa (german: Deutsch-Südwestafrika) was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. With a total area of ...

, today's

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

. Sander studied

Civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

Höxter Höxter () is a town in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany on the left bank of the river Weser, 52 km north of Kassel in the centre of the Weser Uplands. The main town's population is around 15,000, and with outlying centres, about 30,0 ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. He worked in

before joining the German Colonial Society for South West Africa (''Deutsche Kolonialgesellschaft für Südwestafrika'') and repatriating to German South West Africa in 1901. One of his first works were the Swakopmund Railway Station, built in 1901, and the Swakopmund Lighthouse (1902). Also in

Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 20 ...

, his buildings today are all famous landmarks. The three castles of Windhoek,

Heinitzburg Heinitzburg (originally ''Heynitzburg'', ''Heinitz' castle'') is one of the three castles in Windhoek, Namibia. It was built in 1914 by architect Wilhelm Sander. Sander originally built the castle for himself but sold it in 1916 to Hans Bogisl ...

, Schwerinsburg and

Sanderburg Sanderburg (''Sander's castle'') is the smallest of three castles in Windhoek, Namibia. It was built between 1917 and 1919 by architect Wilhelm Sander who designed it as his own place of residence. Its architectural style combines several medie ...

, are what he is best known for here but he also built the Gathemann and Erkrath buildings and was involved in the erection of the

Tintenpalast The Parliament Building, Windhoek, also known as ''Tintenpalast'' ( German for ''Ink Palace''), is the seat of both houses of the Parliament of Namibia (the National Council and the National Assembly). It is located in the Namibian capital of W ...

. Sander also designed

Duwisib Castle Duwisib Castle, sometimes spelt Duwiseb or Duweseb, is a grand pseudo-medieval looking fortress in the hills of the semi-arid Southern Namib region of Namibia, 72 km southwest of Maltahöhe, Hardap Region. It was built in 1909 to serve as the resi ...

near

Helmeringhausen Helmeringhausen is a settlement in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia in the Berseba Constituency. It is located 200 km northeast of Lüderitz and 500 km south of Windhoek on the crossing of the national roads C14 (Goageb - Walvis B ...

, the German Lutheran church in

Keetmanshoop Keetmanshoop is a city in the ǁKaras Region of southern Namibia, lying on the Trans-Namib Railway from Windhoek to Upington in South Africa. It is named after Johann Keetman, a German industrialist and benefactor of the city. History Befo ...

, and many others. Wilhelm Sander was married twice: 1910 to Paola née Eck and 1921 to Else née Fröbel. He moved to Lüderitz in 1922, where he stayed until his death in 1930.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sander, Wilhelm 19th-century German architects German emigrants to Namibia White Namibian people Colonial people in German South West Africa 1860 births 1930 deaths Artists from Berlin Namibian architects 20th-century German architects