Grootfontein was once the capital of the short-lived Republic of Upingtonia, the first and only republic in what later became known as Namibia. The republic was declared in October 1885 after 46 Dorslandtrekker families settled in the Grootfontein area on land acquired by the trader William Jordan from the Ondonga king Kambonde. The republic was abandoned in mid-1887 following Jordan’s murder and because of security concerns. Photographs depicting various aspects of the republic can be viewed in the Grootfontein Museum which is housed in the historic fort. Photo: Willie Olivier
