The ghost town of Kolmanskop is one of Namibia’s most famous relics of the past. Situated between Luderitz and the Bogenfels rock arch on Namibia’s southern Atlantic coast, it is one of many former diamond settlements that lay disintegrating in the sands of the Sperrgebiet. My relationship with the world of Kolmanskop started one afternoon in 1971. The notorious “Southwester” wind had created an inferno of sand and dust that was so intense, it was difficult to set one foot in front of the other. It was amidst this chaos of nature, that I first made my acquaintance with this very unique place. On that particular day, a personal journey began and a secret bond was born, a bond that would cause me to return again and again to this strange, haunted ghost like place in the desert. This ghost town touched my soul and challenged my passion as an artist to capture the sheer beauty and essence of this place. Many grueling and obsessive hours have I spent in quiet contemplation and companionship with Kolmanskop. The result of this union is shown in my photographic portraits. In 1979 CDM (Consolidated Diamond Mines - De Beers) commissioned a well-known Namibian architect, Mrs. Edda Schoedder and Dr. Walter Peters of the University of Natal to preserve what was left of Kolmanskop. In 1980 some of the buildings were restored and the place was open to tourist viewing under supervision. During this time, fate “smiled upon me” I obtained a daily permit which allowed me to spend time from sunrise to sunset in Kolmanskop. I returned many times over the years and carefully scrutinized each house, I examined every corner and noted every hole in every roof and wall. Much of my time was spent simply watching the shifting of the dunes in the rooms, I examined them all through the various open windows and doors. I sat in the room and listened to the wind. I observed the play of shadow and light with the beautiful colours of the walls. It was in these moments of solitude that I transformed myself into the past, and in so doing saw a colourful life which somehow brought a profound understanding the present. The circle of life is truly apparent in Kolmanskop. As the “Southwester” wind blew in the past, so it does in the present and it will continue to do in the future. As the wind subsides, the heat of the sun on the parched desert is stifling and it is when the North wind blows from the sea that a moisture-laden fog rolls over the landscape to bring relief and sustenance to the oppressive climatic conditions that exist here. Nature is very much the master in control. One day I knew, I was ready to capture the beauty once created by people and finalized by Nature. Space, colour and light are the basic elements of my composition.

Helga Kohl