Editing Windhoek (section)

== History ==

The area around Windhoek was known for its hot springs before the development of the modern city. It was known as /Ai-//Gams by Nama communities and Otjomuise by Herero communities. In the 1840s, Orlam captain Jan Jonker Afrikaner settled near present-day Klein Windhoek and built a stone church there.

The present city was founded on 18 October 1890, when German officer Curt von François laid the foundation stone of the [[Alte Feste]]. Windhoek then developed as an administrative centre of [[German South West Africa]].

South African forces occupied Windhoek on 12 May 1915 during the First World War. The city remained the territorial capital under South African administration. On 21 March 1990, when Namibia became independent from [[South Africa]], Windhoek became the capital of the independent Namibian state.