Namibia Colonial Records

Namibia Wiki Topics

Namibia Beginning Research

Getting Started Online Learning Record Finder Research Strategies

Record Types

Cemeteries Church Records Civil Registration Colonial Records Compiled Genealogies Emigration & Immigration Online Genealogy Records Religious Records

Namibia Background

History Languages Maps Social Life & Customs

Namibia Genealogical Word Lists

Afrikaans German

Local Research Resources

Archives & Libraries Societies Local FamilySearch Center

Namibia

Colonial Records

German Colonization and United Nations (1884-1990)

In 1884, Namibia, except for the city of Walvis Bay, became a German colony. After World War I, Namibia, as part of South Africa, became part of the League of Nations mandate. In 1945, the League of Nations became the United Nations and mandates were transferred to a trusteeship system. Namibia officially became an independent country in 1990.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records
Namibia, Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1904-1984 at FamilySearch - index and images	1904-1984	Baptisms, marriages, and membership records	Dutch	People who lived in Namibia and were members of the Dutch Reformed Church
South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive), 1690-2011 at FamilySearch - index and images	1690-2011	Baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, and memberships	Afrikaans, Dutch, English	Members of the Dutch Reformed Church
Bevölkerungsstatistik: Eingeborene und Farbige, 1909-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1909-1914	Census	German	People who lived in German Namibia
Namibia marriage registers for Whites, Coloreds and Indians, 1931-1957 at FamilySearch - images	1931-1957	Marriages	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in Namibia
Verzeichnisse der verstorbenen Weißen, 1897-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1897-1914	Deaths	German	White residents of Namibia
Zivilstandsregister 1897-1902 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1897-1902	Births, marriages, and deaths	German	Residents of German Namibia
Gerichtsakten, Grundbücher, etc. 1896-1913 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1896-1913	Court and land records	German	Residents of German Namibia
Aus- und Einwanderungsakten 1898-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1898-1914	Immigration records	German	People who immigrated to Namibia
Staatsangehörigkeitssachen, 1893-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1893-1914	Citizenship and naturalization records	German	Residents of German Namibia
Landverkäufe, Grundsückakten, Zivilstandsregister 1888-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1888-1915	Land records	German	Landowners who lived in Aroab, Namibia
Unregistrierte Grundstücksakten 1905-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1905-1914	Land records	German	Landowners who lived in Berseba, Namibia
Grundbücher, 1900-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1900-1914	Land records	German	Landowners who lived in Bethanien, Namibia
Namibia, Katima Mulilo, church records at FamilySearch - images	1976-1991	Baptisms and memberships	Afrikaans	Members of the Dutch Reformed Church who lived in the Caprivi Strip
Kirchenbuch, 1892-1928 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1892-1928	Memberships records, communicants, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths	German	Lutherans in Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1898-1939 at FamilySearch - images	1898-1939	Baptisms, marriages, confirmations, deaths, communicants, and marriage proclamtations	German, Afrikaans	Lutherans in Karibib, Namibia
Landverkäufe, etc. 1890-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1890-1915	Land Records	German	People who lived in Karibib, German Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1863-1908 at FamilySearch - images	1863-1908	Members, baptisms, confirmations, deaths, marriages, communicants, and excommunicants	Afrikaans, German, and Dutch	Lutherans who lived in Gibeon, German Namibia
Farmverkäufe, Heimstättenverkäufe, Verpachtungen, etc. 1899-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1899-1915	Land records	German	Landowners in Gobabis, German Namibia
Landverkäufe, etc. 1898-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1898-1915	Land records	German	Landowners who lived in Grootfontein, German Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1845-1905 at FamilySearch - images	1845-1905	Baptisms, confirmations, deaths, marriages, move-ins, reinstated excommunicants, move-outs, and communicants	German	Lutherans in Otjikango, Namibia
Bevölkrung und Melderegister, 1894-1912 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1894-1912	Population registers	German	People who lived in Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1828-1910 at FamilySearch - images	1828-1910	Baptisms, marriages, members, and deaths	German	Lutherans who lived in Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Zivilstandsregister, 1894-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1894-1915	Births, marriages, and deaths	German	Residents of Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Besiedlung, 1895-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1895-1914	Immigration, emigration, and colonization records	German	People who settled and immigrated to Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Prozessakten 1895-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1895-1915	Civil and court records	German	Residents of Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Rechtsangelegenheiten, 1908-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1908-1914	Legal and court records	German	Residents of Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Grundbücher : 1890-1915 at FamilySearch - images	1890-1915	Land records	German	Landowners of Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Grundstücksakten, 1890-1913 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1890-1913	Land records	German	Landowners of Keetmanshoop, Namibia
Civilprozessache, 1906-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1906-1914	Civil court records	German	Residents of Luderitz, Namibia
Landverkäufe, etc. 1899-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1899-1915	Land records	German	Landowners in Maltahohe, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1817-1956 at FamilySearch - images	1817-1956	Baptisms, marriages, confirmations, and deaths	German	Lutherans in Otjiseva, Namibia
Eingeborenen-Register, 1900?-1915? at FamilySearch - microfilm	1900-1915	Marriages	German	Indigenous people in Okahandja, Namibia
Zivilstandsregister, 1904-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1904-1915	Births, Marriages, and Deaths	German	Residents of Okahandja, Namibia
Besiedelung, 1900-1915 at FamilySearch - images	1900-1915	Colonization and immigration records	German	Settlers of Okahandja, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1870-1907 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1870-1907	Marriages, baptisms, and Deaths	German	Lutherans who lived in Omaruru, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1836-1907 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1836-1907	Marriages, baptisms, and deaths	German	Lutherans who lived in Omburu, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1858-1904 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1858-1904	Baptisms, births, marriages, deaths, and communicants	German	Lutherans who lived in Otjihaeverra, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1885-1955 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1885-1955	Baptisms, confirmations, marriages, communicants, deaths, and removals	German	Lutherans who lived in Otjimbingwe, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1872-1904 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1872-1904	Members, baptisms, communicants, marriages, confirmations, arrivals, deaths	German	Lutherans who lived in Otjozonjupa, Namibia
Landverkäufe, Grundstücke, Farmakten 1895-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1895-1915	Land records	German	Lutherans who lived in Outjo, Namibia
Grundbücher : 1897-1915 at FamilySearch - images and microfilm	1897-1915	Land Records	German	Residents of Rehoboth, Namibia
Baugrundstücke, 1907-1913 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1907-1913	Land Records	German	Landowners in Seeheim, Namibia
Farmangelegenheiten 1906-1909 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1906-1909	Land Records	German	Landowners in Sesfontein, Namibia
Volkszählungsstatistiken 1907-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1907-1914	Census	German	Residents of Swakopmund, Namibia
Zivilstandsregister 1897-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1897-1914	Births, marriages, and deaths	German	Residents of Swakopmund, Namibia
Prozessakten 1900-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1900-1915	Court records	German	Residents of Swakopmund, Namibia
Grundbücher, 1893-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1893-1914	Land records	German	Landowners in Swakopmund, Namibia
Nachlässe, Vormundschaften 1903-1912 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1903-1912	Probate records	German	Residents of Swakopmund, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1917-1937 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1917-1937	Communicants and marriages	German	Residents of Usakos, Namibia
Volkzählungslisten, 1909-1913 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1909-1913	Census	German	Residents of Windhoek, Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1896-1957 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1896-1957	Marriages, births, baptisms, deaths, communicants, arrivals, and removals	German and Afrikaans	Lutherans living in Windhoek, Namibia
Zivilstandsregister, 1898-1914 at FamilySearch - images	1898-1914	Births, marriages, and deaths	German	Residents of Windhoek, Namibia
Rechtsangelegenheiten, 1899-1915 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1899-1915	Court records	German	Residents of Windhoek, Namibia
Grundbücher, 1899-1914 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1899-1914	Land records	German	Landowners in Windhoek, Namibia
Staatsangehörigkeitssachen, 1900-1914 at FamilySearch - images	1900-1914	Naturalization records	German	Immigrants to Windhoek, Namibia

British Colonization and South West Africa (1884-1994)

In 1884, the British annexed the city of Walvis Bay as part of the Cape Colony, while the surrounding country became a German colony. During World War I, Germany occupied Walvis Bay briefly, before being placed under martial law by South West Africa when the Germans were driven out. In 1977, control of Walvis Bay transferred from South Africa to the Cape Providence, making it an exclave. Walvis Bay sovereignty transferred to Namibia in 1994.

Record collection	Years covered	Record type	Language	Who is in the records
British Armed Forces and Overseas Births and Baptisms, Namibia at Findmypast - index & images ($)	1911-2005	Births and baptisms	English	Children born to those working within the armed forces, merchant navy, and consular forces, as well as, civilian ship passengers.
British Armed Forces and Overseas Deaths and Burials, COUNTRY at Findmypast - index & images ($)	1911-2004	Deaths and burials	English	Members of the British armed forces who died while serving their country overseas, British civilians who died while traveling or working overseas, and individuals (including seaman) who died at sea.
Namibia, Dutch Reformed Church Records, 1904-1984 at FamilySearch - index and images	1904-1984	Baptisms, marriages, and membership records	Dutch	People who lived in Namibia and were members of the Dutch Reformed Church
South Africa, Church of the Province of South Africa, Parish Registers, 1801-2004 at FamilySearch - index and images	1801-2004	Baptisms, marriages, deaths, and burials	Afrikaans, English	People who lived in Namibia and were members of the Church of the Province of South Africa
Namibia, Die Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk in Suidwes-Afrika, Lidmateregister al die Ringe, 1956-1989 at FamilySearch - index and images	1956-1989	Baptisms and membership records	Afrikaans	Members of the Dutch Reformed Church
South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Records (Stellenbosch Archive), 1690-2011 at FamilySearch - index and images	1690-2011	Baptisms, confirmations, marriages, deaths, and memberships	Afrikaans, Dutch, English	Members of the Dutch Reformed Church
Civil registration (death notices), South Africa, South West Africa, Rhodesia, Swaziland, etc., 1869-1939 at FamilySearch - images	1869-1939	Deaths	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in South West Africa
Civil registration (deaths), South Africa and South West Africa, 1955-1966 at FamilySearch - images	1955-1966	Deaths	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in South West Africa
Civil registration (deaths), South West Africa, 1894-1954 at FamilySearch - images	1894-1954	Deaths	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in South West Africa
Civil registration (marriages), Cape Province, 1900-1930 at FamilySearch - images	1900-1930	Marriages	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in South West Africa
Civil registration (marriages), South West Africa / Namibia, 1893-1930 at FamilySearch - images	1893-1930	Marriages	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in South West Africa
Namibia marriage registers for Whites, Coloreds and Indians, 1931-1957 at FamilySearch - images	1931-1957	Marriages	Afrikaans and English	People who lived in Namibia
Namibia, Katima Mulilo, church records at FamilySearch - images	1976-1991	Baptisms and memberships	Afrikaans	Members of the Dutch Reformed Church who lived in the Caprivi Strip
Kirchenbuch, 1892-1928 at FamilySearch - microfilm	1892-1928	Memberships records, communicants, baptisms, confirmations, marriages, and deaths	German	Lutherans in Namibia
Kirchenbuch, 1898-1939 at FamilySearch - images	1898-1939	Baptisms, marriages, confirmations, deaths, communicants, and marriage proclamtations	German, Afrikaans	Lutherans in Karibib, Namibia
South Africa, Dutch Reformed Church Registers, 1660-1970 at MyHeritage - index and images	1660-1970	Baptisms, marriages, and membership records	Afrikaans, Dutch, and English	Members of the Dutch Reformed Church who lived in Namibia