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The
first inhabitants of Bethanien are the !Aman
descendants of the Oorlam people originating from
the south of the Orange River, who settled in and
around Bethanien as early as 1804.
As
was the practise then they were ruled by a
Tradtional Authority under the following Chiefs of
Headman as they were called; Kobus Frederiks (Ou
Kobeb), Josef Frederiks1, Petrus Frederik, David
Christiaan Frederik, Josef Frederiks 11, Paul
Frederik, Eduard Frederik (#Khaxab), Josef
Frederiks 111, Simon Boois (!Hanamub #Naoxamab),
Jan Samuel Heroro (/Hoa/Arab) and Chief Dawid
Frederik present since 1984.
Bethanien
is well known for harbouring missionaries like,
Schmelon and Knudsen who arrived mainly on request
of the tradtional leadership, to preach the holy
Gospel and to help them educating the children.
It
is due to these events that Bethanien proudly
displays interesting historical buildings,
cemeteries and churches (The Schmelen House of
Euro African architecture, the old Mission Church
a resemblance of the Unter Barmen Church in
Germany,...) to mention but a few.
The
Evangelical Church Complex, the Mission Church,
the Schmelen Cottage and the Cemetery were
proclaimed as National Monuments on 17 August
1978.
The
National Monuments Council and the German
Government through its Embassy renovated the
Mission Church and reconstructed the erstwhile two
towers.
Bethanien
is called '/Ui-#Gantes' in the indigenes Nama or
Khoe Khoe language, which is the predominant
language spoken locally, while the name Bethanien
means 'Place of Misery'.
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